Can confirm DEC's have only ONE LOFT, and that's not even a 'failsim' as someone put it before, just a kind of demonstration...
Let's put it this way, I was FO on one of the LOFT's for a DEC, had to do almost all the work, and afterwards got a remark that I gave to much input to the (incompetent) DEC. I know that some of the DEC's are quite good, but we also have some really poor ones, with no long haul or modern aircraft experience, who have a very easy go at command within EK.
Anyhow, it makes me wish that I stayed a few more years at my previous outfit at a higher salary, and come over as a DEC once I got the criteria...
About the training, well, it sucks! Some instructors are really good, some are complete @55h0le5. Never had a problem yet, but I can understand how some people have huge training problems, and all that because of a weird TRI/TRE...
Anyhow, I hope to get my upgrade ASAP, with very strict but fair trainers...
MR8