£5,000 for 10 hrs in the OAT 'sim'. You have to be kidding. It's not a sim, its an FNPT 2 MCC. There was a thread explaining all about if some while back. If I remember correctly, there are 3 types of synthetic trainers: Full Flight Simulators, which are type specific and can be used for type rating and everything; FFS have to have full motion. Then there are Flight Training Devices, also type specific and they can be used for half the hours for a type rating, rating renewals etc; FTDs are usually fixed-base. At the bottom of the pile are FNPTs, which can be used for licence training and MCC only. They are generic and may have a passing resemblance to a particular type, but don’t have to have accurate representation of the systems, performance etc.
The OATS FNPT is another con - they pretend it is a simulator and a B737-400. In fact it is a generic FNPT 2, based loosely on the B737-400, with a motion system. I would have fallen for that con if a well informed friend had not pointed it out to me.
Apparently, current type FFS time costs £500/hour. FNPT 2s are worth about £120/hour.
I wouldn't be so anti this course if it were competitively priced and OATS were honest about what you are getting for your money. But like you, PT Flea, I cannot see any justification for the inflated price whatsoever.
(I hope I have all those facts right, or I'm about to get flamed again!)
