No sim time -- is it possible?
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No sim time -- is it possible?
Many flight schools include in their offers sim time, which I'd like to avoid as long as it is possible and fly the most possible hours on a real airplane. Would avoiding sim time be possible or does EASA request sim time?
Of course I know it would be more expensive.
Of course I know it would be more expensive.
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No need for it by law AFAIK. I personally did about 20 hours sim time (not including MCC and JOC, which are almost certainly to be done in a sim) and it was all SE FNTP1 time which I could have done in an aircraft, but chose to do in sim because it was procedural practice, and I already had a handle on the aircraft and it was cheaper.
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Why would you want to avoid the sim? It's one of the best training aids there are. No one is going to say it's the same as an aircraft, but the whole point is that you can simulate things much easier in a sim. Another advantage of the sim is that if you stuff it up, at one click of a button you can reset and have another go. In an aircraft it could take 10 mins to reposition to have another run, at £6 a min that's quite wasteful.
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I am noticing that many job offers for low hours require 200 hours excluding sim time and indeed a friend of mine, who graduated from a reputable Italian FTO with 150-160 hours excluding sim time, could not be eligible for two job offers: one in Europe and one in Asia both on the A320.
I know it might sound stupid, but since I am about to finish my PPL and move on afterwards, I am trying to do the wisest move possible.
I know it might sound stupid, but since I am about to finish my PPL and move on afterwards, I am trying to do the wisest move possible.
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What does a twin cost for IR training there days? I was paying 360 an hour, so I'd imagine it's closer to 400 now.
How much is the sim? Maybe 160 an hour or so? 140 even?
So that's 200 an hour difference for at least 20 hours, potentially as much as 30.
You can hire a single engine aircraft for as little as 80 an hour, build the remaining 40 hours you need to make 200 aircraft time, and it will make you look like someone who is genuinely interested in flying, with a decent and well thought out hour building plan to talk about at interview, rather than a dork who doesn't trust simulators.
Another thing, when you go for a type rating it will definitely be in a simulator, so 20-30 hours sim time isn't such a bad thing, as they do feel very different to real aircraft.
How much is the sim? Maybe 160 an hour or so? 140 even?
So that's 200 an hour difference for at least 20 hours, potentially as much as 30.
You can hire a single engine aircraft for as little as 80 an hour, build the remaining 40 hours you need to make 200 aircraft time, and it will make you look like someone who is genuinely interested in flying, with a decent and well thought out hour building plan to talk about at interview, rather than a dork who doesn't trust simulators.
Another thing, when you go for a type rating it will definitely be in a simulator, so 20-30 hours sim time isn't such a bad thing, as they do feel very different to real aircraft.
Last edited by RTN11; 10th Nov 2013 at 15:19.
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No sim time -- is it possible?
Simulators are there for a reason. As already mentioned, you make a mistake, hit reset, fly the procedure again. As stated, it would take you 10 minutes of wasted time to get back to the place where you have to start from again.
Sorry to say this and burst your bubble, but simulators do represent excellent value for money and a brilliant aid to procedural training. However, you can always go against conventional wisdom as much as you like, it is after all your money. If you find that you still need more practice at hand flying aeroplanes for real by the time you get to your instrument rating, perhaps you really need to spend more time on hours building before going ahead with the instrument rating itself.
Sorry to say this and burst your bubble, but simulators do represent excellent value for money and a brilliant aid to procedural training. However, you can always go against conventional wisdom as much as you like, it is after all your money. If you find that you still need more practice at hand flying aeroplanes for real by the time you get to your instrument rating, perhaps you really need to spend more time on hours building before going ahead with the instrument rating itself.
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You can reposition to a new airport in 30 seconds not 30 minutes.
No landing fees
No navaid unserviceabilites (unless required by the syllabus)
There's never the wrong weather.
Never a slot time.
You're always number one for the approach.
The instructor can freeze it to make a training point etc.
