Total Program Will Emulate The Life Of A Regional Airline Pilot

ANN April 1 Special Edition

Redbird introduced its first airline simulator April 1. The device emulates the cockpit of an Embraer E-190 using COTS hardware in a full-motion platform.

But true to the Redbird business model, company founder Jerry Gregoire says that the company will be offering a program that not only simulates the flying portion of a regional airline, but will give prospective captains and first officers a true representation of life at a regional airline.

“It made sense to start with something smaller than a Dreamliner or an A330,” Gregoire told ANN. “It could be years before a pilot sees the front office of an airplane like that. So we’re offering a total package that will be based in reality. We can now take a prospective pilot from ab-initio training all the way to that $28,000 per year job.”

After working through initial training through a commercial rating, candidates for a regional captain job are assigned to housing at least 800 miles from the Redbird Skyport in San Marcos, TX. “A pilot will travel from his or her location to San Marcos, and then get in the sim to fly short-haul routes to the limit of their allotted crew time, before returning to their housing for proper crew rest,” Gregoire explained. “That way, they’ll get a true representation of what it is like to be a crewmember for a regional airline, and what it takes to graduate up to the really big iron.”

He said he has made a deal with Air B&B to provide housing for the potential pilots. “They could be anywhere, living out of a suitcase. It truly will be a total immersion experience. They’ll get the good, the bad and the ugly.”

Gregoire said that several regional carriers have expressed interest in the program, but he was not at liberty to say with which ones he is in negotiations. He added that the concept is being supported by the Regional Airline Association.

FMI: www.redbirdskyport.com