As I said a number of people were interviewed by flybe without a JOC.
Subsequently were asked to complete a joc at simtech, which was i also understand was conducted with flybe sops.
I personally see this as a revenue generating scheme for simtech.
However it shows that you don't need a joc to apply and it may infact be more prefereable if they can line you up as a customer for simtec rather than turning up with any joc course.
If you are the sort of candidate flybe want then it will be irrelevant if you have a joc for reasons given above.
From the candidates i met it was good to see one or two were high hour instructors, though most appeared to be young low hour newbies which I suspect were from approved flybe schools. In other words it is not worth doing a speculative joc to get selected by flybe.