The simulator instructor - How essential is real flying hours on type?
A speaker at the recent Asia-Pacific Flight Safety Forum in Bangkok, stated that a looming world-wide shortage of airline pilots meant a need to train more flight simulator instructors to cover the extra training needed to fill flight decks. He added the situation could arise where a career as a simulator instructor could be envisaged directly from leaving school.
I cannot see that ever happening; but it does open up for discussion whether or not it is essential that a simulator instructor should have had a command on the aircraft type he is to instruct on.
The NZ aircrew recruitment firm, Rishworth, New Zealand, recently advertised for 737NG simulator instructors in Indonesia. I don't have the full details at hand, but understand some of the minimum requirements included currency on aircraft type in the last three months as well as 1000 in command on type.
There is a good argument for a simulator instructor to be experienced on the type of aircraft he is to instruct on. On the other hand, if the simulator instructor is already an experienced pilot but not having flown that specific type of aircraft, should that put him out of the running? Obviously, he would need to have that type on his licence and that is normally attained after having completed the type rating course on the simulator.
Simulator instructors vary greatly in their personality and knowledge of the aircraft they are instructing on. School teachers and university lecturers also vary greatly in their personal teaching styles and effectiveness. For the simulator instructor, it begs the question if personality and instructional skill is more important than thousands of hours of flying the actual aircraft?
Most of us have occasionally struck the simulator screaming skull instructor who might be 100 percent clued up on the aircraft systems from his experience as a pilot on type. But he may be a bloody awful instructor in terms of personality. Students do not learn effectively from that sort of person.
I apologize for the long-winded lead up to the following question: But, is it essential that a simulator instructor to have flown in command on the type of aircraft (simulator) on which he hopes to teach? Ideally, yes. But essential? I don't really know about that. Appreciate your comments