I recently learned of a facility Id not previously known. Aircraft Simulator Training in Santa Rosa, CA, advertises in my type-club magazine and I decided to give them a try. Due to some date confusion on my part, I thought I was beginning this process with a couple months of flexibility. In reality, I had a couple weeks. In e-mail discussions I was impressed with the approach that Aircraft Simulator Training took, but we just couldnt get the schedule to work. So, I looked elsewhere.
Recurrent flight training is crucial, often insurance-mandated, and pilots should periodically vary training facilities or instructors to gain fresh perspectives and broader experience.
Pilots should define specific personal training objectives (e.g., instrument proficiency, system refresh, abnormal operations) before attending to ensure the curriculum is tailored to their needs.
The author's SIMCOM experience highlighted excellent instructors, a good facility, and competitive pricing, but the effectiveness was significantly hampered by an old, buggy, and unreliable simulator for their aircraft type.
Simulator training is generally superior for proficiency due to its cost-effectiveness, ability to safely practice diverse scenarios and failures, and high repetition rates, though real-aircraft time can complement it.
Many insurance companies require their insureds, particularly those flying more complex aircraft, to periodically attend recurrent training. Mine requires it every two years for my twin-engine, pressurized, Cessna 340A. This was one of those years, so I had some decisions to make about quality of training, availability, and economics.
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