To SIM prep or not to SIM prep........?
This is a question that has comes up over and over through the years.....! My recommendation hasn't changed, those of you that have read my opinions on the matter will experience déjà vu because I'm about to say what I have always said in the past, but since it's been a while, I'll revisit the point once more..!
How important is the SIM interview?
The sim evaluation IS the interview...! You don't impress them in the SIM, you don't get the job...!
Who benefits from a SIM prep? Would I recommend it?
Let's examine who has made it to the line and if the SIM prep made the difference..!
For what I see from guys (and gals) joining the line, I would say that 80% haven't flown the 767 before and maybe half (give or take) have any Boeing experience..!
For what I have heard in conversations with new folks joining the line is that maybe a third have done any SIM prep...! This is of course unscientific, this is just my impression during the usual "what where you doing before" conversations at cruise with the guys that I have never flown before, that is happening more and more lately since we are getting so many new pilots around here!
You folks need to understand that NONE of us knows what exactly they are looking for, they do NOT share any information as to why people pass nor fails the interview, they don't share the pass rates nor their reasoning behind it...!
Now, over the years we have come to understand the common trades of folks that make it to the line..., what we see that they are looking for is individuals that will be trainable in the way that they do things and individuals that will be able to communicate in an environment where English is not the native language for everyone. Your communications skills and your management skills are more important as far as I see than you knowing where every switch is, if your Boeing knowledge or the 767 cockpit layout would be what they are looking for, then 8 out of 10 pilots that are on the line today wouldn't have been hired..! Fair enough? Communicate with your PM (pilot monitoring) during the sim eval, ask for what you want to accomplish with the automation and he will help you with it, the evaluation team knows that you haven't flown the 767 before, it is your CRM capabilities and your airmanship what they are looking for and not that you know what every switch on the MCP is...! Makes sense?
OK, this is who I believe will benefit from a SIM prep..! If you have very little to no experience flying steam gauges, then I recommend a SIM prep because it could be very difficult to get an appropriate scan going, your scan is what will maintain your SA..! And that you maintain your SA is what they are looking for, not that you don't make a mistake because of your unfamiliarity with the automation, if during the evaluation you make a mistake by selecting something wrong on the MCP (as it happened to me during my evaluation) don't just sit there and let the contraption do what it might! disconnect and maintain the aluminum tube tracking what you want and just command the PM to select what you want the automation to do, then reconnect...! Airmanship, communications skills, management skills...! If you are weak in those areas, a SIM prep won't help. FLY the thing, don't think it is the 767 you are flying, fly it from your seat forward, learn the pitch and power settings that come in your interview package since this will go a long way in helping you to control the SIM that is quite sensitive actually. Make sure that before you start the evaluation, you brief your PM about your lack of understanding of the automation and if you have any basic questions as to how to select this or that, have your PM explain it to you during the brief...! That you know how to use the assets available to you is what they are looking for, NOT that you are unfamiliar with the MCP, because if that was the case, the majority of us wouldn't be flying the line today...! Of course the more preparation the better, if you get some familiarity with the automation of course it will help, but spend more time on pitch and power settings and the SOP's on the interview package.
Good luck!