And if you enjoy Mr. Deakin's story of his Simuflite experience, here's what he has to say after some time flying the plane.
http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/185048-1.html
Being very familiar with the charter company that spurned him after he wrote the initial article, I can attest to Mr. Deakins' assertion that his words carried a high personal cost to him. He was effectively blackballed from employment as a charter pilot. That he was able to find work at all is testament to his fortitude and the fact that not all charter operators agreed that he should be censured for his views of the training experience. I think that after so many years of being a captain on 747 classic, the G-IV and the accelerated training regimen outside the airlines left him feeling unprepared for G-IV PIC duties. Understandably so, in view of the vast differences between the aircraft and type of operation. As you can see for yourself in his later column, he is now quite comfortable in the plane after having enjoyed the benefit of some time flying trips as SIC then PIC in the real world. My own experience with the glass transition was somewhat less traumatic than John's since I had some familiarity with the new airplane and training regimen allready. His experience illustrates the limitations imposed on bizjet type training by economic factors. While I believe he is correct in his condemnation of the "firehose" method of instruction, the pressure to shorten training events continues. As in any other kind of training or education, studying beforehand adds value to the training event.
Best,
Westhawk