Re: B737 Type Rating.
ZFT in the UK is only available to pilots who have certain minimum hours on a similar class of aircraft (eg B737/A320 etc). I believe the figure is somewhere between 1000-2000hrs.
So Flyingsand - not correct. I converted onto the B737 in a ZFT sim, without needing base training, and only 2500hrs on the A320.
BA/bmi/EZ/many other UK jet operators all have ZFT-capable sims, yet they still carry out base training details - why else would they, unless they had to in certain cases?
Also goes some way to explaining min hours reqt for companies like Virgin/BA Longhaul - think how much base training in a 777 would cost!