It sounds like you took my post as a direct stab against your instructional
abilities. Although I find it hard to see how, that was not my intent and I
apologize if anyone else took it that way.
I was reacting to your statement in your original post and I quote, "Do
business with the people who need to be insurance qualified for the aircraft
they purchased, initial and every 6 month currency."
The key word there is "need." So let me restate my post as a question. Are
there really avionics suites that require 5-day software-only recurrency
training every six months by an insurance company? There, is that better?
Out of curiosity, how long is your recommended syllabus for someone with a
basic Garmin GNS 430/530 setup? If you tell me that it's the 5-day recurrency
training every six months and that you are getting that on a regular basis then
I'm scheduling my CFI training tomorrow. And I'm being serious too.
I've paid for instructors for many hours beyond both my private ticket and
instrument rating so I know and appreciate the value of proficiency training. I
can easily see how someone can spend 10 days for initial training in a new
model like the TBM700.
I've also read the FAA study you refer to and I *do* agree with it for the
most part (I don't even own an SR-22). However, If my insurance company turns
around and tells me tomorrow that I need to go for a five-day GPS training
course every 6 months before they'll insure me, then I would cry foul. I think
most IFR GPS owners in this group would. If they required only that I take an
initial training certification class in my type, then I can see their point. I
think I'm a reasonable guy in that respect. Of course this is a slippery slope
favoring the insurance companies but that's a different thread.
For the sake of General Aviation, I hope you can make a decent living doing
what you do. I'm a bit envious actually. Good luck.
Regards,
Marco
Good evening Marco:
Insurance underwriters require not only initial, but also recurrency training
in make/model of aircraft and of course ALL systems (or software if you like)
in the aircraft. Since the named pilot is required to complete an instrument
proficiency check (done over the course of 3-5 days) for his recurrency, yes
indeed the software is included.
Perhaps you have the misunderstanding that the software itself insurance
mandated required every 6 month training. No, that is incorrect. It is only the
aircraft itself with all of its components that insurance underwriter wants
every 6 month training.
As I said the lesser the hull value the less the training requirements by
insurance underwriters. When you have a relatively a hull value, $350k or more,
the underwriters want to be able to sleep at night rather than get a phone call
to the claims department.
When the aircraft itself has a fair history but "worse than average" rate with
average pilots, the underwriters want changes. They want a training syllabus
that reflects the accident history, real life scenarios for training, and of
course real world weather which means being on trips for up the exposure. This
is all related to the pilot-in-command learning decision making in what he can
find himself in.
Marco will you please explain to me how I can ignore the software aspects of
the aircraft, including of course the flight director, altitude pre-selector,
control wheel steering, 2 EFIS, weather uplink, weather display, radar
controller, TCAS, VNAV function, 2 moving maps, cabin pressurization, etc.
Could you please introduce me to someone who owns any aircraft 5 years old or
less, and feels that it only took 2 days to learn the equipment, and recurrency
is a waste of time (money).
I think you are severely understating the learning involved. But I have not met
you nor do I know what software is in your aircraft. Therefor it would be
incorrect of me to comment on what you already know.
As I said earlier I hope you have found a satisfactory training program that
not only meets your needs (budget) but also that of your underwriter.
And by the way if you give me your email address, I'll be happy to send you the
full operational guides for the Garmin 530, KFC325, EFIS 50/40, KMD850,
RDR2000, ETM by Shadin, KDR510, GAD42, PC12 by Pilatus, TBM700 by Socata,
PA46-350p and PA46-500tp and PA32r-300t by Piper. After you read the full
operational guides, perhaps you could inform us what is a reasonable training
curricula.
It is only my opinion that you have mistaken the concept of software training
being exclusive of the pilot proficiency requirements. If you wish to talk to
me personaly and perhaps have some of your misunderstanding resolved, my phone
is 305-389-1742.
Fly safe by knowing what safe is.
paul k. sanchez, cfii-mei
on eagles’ wings
2011 south perimeter road, suite g
fort lauderdale, florida 33309-7135
305-389-1742 wireless
954-776-0527 fax
954-965-8329 home/fax