Now that your employer (the Sim Operator) has contacts across the world with AW139 operators, could they organise some sort of exchange programme so that you could fly the line operationally somewhere? In exchange, the Operator's TRE/TRIs could get experiance on the OEM sim?

Very difficult if not impossible to do, as the "exchange" instructor would need to be added to the ooerator certificate.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

There are already exchange programmes running between different operators around the world. If the AW OEM SFIs could be involved, it would certainly help their credibility.

SFI exchange
 

Great idea and it has been tried but unfortunately no operator is going to do it for free and I believe that it was just too expensive. There is also a dilemma for us old shags who flogged the North Sea (and other playgrounds) for the best part of 35 years and are now too old to play that game anymore :( , plus there are a few who may not have a medical but can do a damn good job in the box.

As I said, we have to find a way around this particular difficulty and given good will on both sides this can be done. Key is the SFI having the background in the role his candidates are working in and if not then the school needs to give him some exposure to that world in the sim ao that he doesn't look (and feel :sad: ) a complete idiot when trying to teach the nuts and bolts of the TR or finds himself making a nonsense of a LOFT session.

Most of us want to do a good job by you guys and gals but we can't work miracles if the system we work in seems incapable of preparing us adequately. Everyone in the aviation world is looking for cheaper ways to do anything and everything and against that background delivering 'quality' in our sector is always going to be a challenge.

G. :ok:

Geoff and Bravo,
The system is not incapable, it was just never designed or intended to function that way, so far.
There are misgivings about the requirement for a specific background experience, it may help the SFI establish some common ground with the trainees, thus making his/her job easier but deep down inside what counts is systems and procedures knowledge, and that applies to any helicopter type.
One major O&G support operator does not require that their "loaned" SFIs have offshore experience, it requires instead for their instructors to be trained to its standards.
Also, just because you are flying the sectors every day for six weeks and a lifetime, doesn't necessarily mean that it will improve your knowledge of the aircraft, quite the opposite in fact in some environments and types of operations (I speak from personal experience from both sides of the fence if it may help).:E
It's a Type Rating course, and I cannot quite recall what part of the EASA or FAA or CASA or ANAC or TC RFMs include OSAPs and ARAs or PIC Judgement in dealing with a deceiving customer dispatcher.
All I can find with regard to Offshore operations is in Suppl 9, 12 and 50 of the RFM.

Tottigol
 

I'm not going to argue with any of that because I agree that a TR is not role-specific. However that's only 50% of the job of a school SFI, the rest is recurrent training and there it IS role specific, at least when you are dealing with LOFT training.

Of course there is an element of good basic training in the mix and you are quite right, there is no substitute for knowing your systems and procedures. In this day and age of complex helicopters we often come across malfunctions that are not in the RFM so system knowledge and good airmanship combine to give us a quality we like to call 'pilot resilience'. It will make the difference between getting everyone on terra firma safely and not.....

This is where the sim scores so heavily and combined with a good SFI will make all the difference. :)

G :ok:

Copter Safety Training Quality
 

Some of you guys discussed the new training facility in Helsinki. I just talked to one of my old friends from Aberdeen, they've been there for recurrent training. Seems like Copter Safety are getting worse than AgustaWestland ever thought of. Experienced AW139 people among the permanent staff does not exist anymore, and they are using pilots with no instructor background, they just give them a TRI, and off you go. There HOT has never seen the AW139.
So if you go there, better bring your own instructor. Unfortunately - this is the
result when money is the only thing on their mind.
However, the sim itself seems to be working well, they say. But I guess they normally do - CAE built them all.

Well, I've heard totally opposite, a two days ago.

JR

Well, I havn't been there myself yet, but as far as I've been told, when they started last year, everything was looking very good. Experienced instructors with lots of instructor background and hours on AW139. But when these guys start leaving, things changes of course, especially within such a small company.
And this seems to be the case with many training facilities all over. Training quality is no longer the most important thing, unfortunately. Reading the earlier postings confirms this as well.
But like I've mentioned: if you're there with your own instructors, this will not be noticed, I assume.

No idea about instructor standards at Helsinki as we took our own but everything else is a dream compared with other sims. Good connections to Helsinki, sim close to the airport, great hotels minutes away from the sim with complimentary taxi. No Sesto security hassles, well maintained sim, comfortable, quiet classrooms and good instructional aids, pleasant, helpful staff, free food, coffee and soft drinks, comfortable waiting lounge, good availability and slot times. Cannot praise it highly enough.

Exactly bring your own and make up the training based on what you know, how good is that?

Still, tott... he nearly had me at free coffee.

The coffee situation in Sesto is completely unacceptable.

Easily corrected, provided you don't ask for that crappy American broth.:hmm:

Copter safety trg quality
 

Awesome facility with very experienced instructors and examiners both for ground classes as well as Sim.

Wonderful experience to carry forward with the support and services at place from all account.

Recently been there and done that.

EC-155B, on what aircraft did you train?