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Things to do when the weather is bad

I'm considering going for a 'virtual type rating' on a Boeing 737. My wife kindly bought me a session on the simulator in the link below (though there are many others around the world), and it was great fun (though not loggable unfortunately). The prices arent much different to what you would pay to fly an average 4 seater GA aircraft for an hour. At the place I went to at Sywell Aerodrome (UK), after a 5 hour training session, they will let you loose on your own, and you can treat friend and family to a different kind of flight.

If you want to get a good idea of the technical bits and pieces involved, there's loads to download from Smart Cockpit, including the Flight Crew Training Manual, systems descriptions, SOPs and profiles.

In the real world, the type rating is about 8 weeks solid, including about 40 hours sim time (20 PF, 20 PM) plus base training.

London area

Thanks Josh - very interesting :-)

In the real world, the type rating is about 8 weeks solid, including about 40 hours sim time (20 PF, 20 PM) plus base training.

That would be a good one... A lot of people prefer the cheap 3-week, 24-sim-hour courses like this one:
(I think I will not fly as passenger on an airliner again ;-) )

EDDS - Stuttgart

Having given it some thought (and the fact that my plane's annual has expired and it wont be flyable much in the next few weeks or so), I am going to sign up for the virtual rating. At £500 for at least 5 - 6 hours 'training' with an instructor on a realistic, albeit fixed base simulator, it isnt bad value for money (in aviation terms).

Of course, it is a bit of a poor mans shortcut to learning how to fly a 737 properly, and its a much different universe to flying a PA28, but I am hoping I might pick up a few transferable skills. I quite enjoy the procedural elements of flying (planning, R/T, setting up NAV/COM equiptment, flying approaches and so on), so even if I dont pick up any new skills, it should at least be fun :-). When I do it, I will do a little write-up and post a few pics, just in case anyone is interested.

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