Good question.
is it essential that a simulator instructor to have flown in command on the type of aircraft (simulator) on which he hopes to teach?
No, I would not say that a good simulator instructor must have flown command on the type of aircraft on which they hope to teach.
However, that is not to say that line flying experience is unnecessary for an airline simulator instructor.
Being fresh out of school with a newly minted rating, but without any real practical line flying experience, one might make a fine systems and initial training simulator instructor. However the same person will be a much better instructor if they were to return a few years later after having several thousand sectors of line experience behind them.
Teaching well is a separate skill set from flying.
If, for example, a pilot is an experienced B777 or Airbus 380 Captain and then was to unfortunately lose their medical certificate; it would be foolish (in my opinion) to take the position that the same individual would be categorically unable to provide superior training in some other airline’s training department as a simulator instructor on the Boeing 747 or the Airbus 340 simply because they have no command time in those other aircraft.
No, I would not subscribe to the absolute statement that a simulator instructor must have flow command on the type of aircraft on which they hope to teach. If that were true; how then did the first commander on the maiden flight of the A380 or B787 ever get their training? Before that first flight of those airplanes; nobody had ever flow the jet before. If nobody had ever flown the jet before, who gave those pilots their simulator training?
Off on a different tangent now. In the United States I am witnessing a horrible trend. It appears that the industry is moving away from competent, enthusiastic and qualified human trainers in favor of software and self paced computer based training. Our airline has gone enthusiastically in this direction with horrendous results. In my opinion a motivated, enthusiastic, qualified, experienced and capable instructor is one of the airline’s most important assets; one that can never (in my lifetime) be adequately replaced by some line of code in software.
Make use of good talent where you find it.
Last edited by Northbeach; 10th Oct 2011 at 16:29.