Higher Power

[pilot370]

Anybody planning on going down to HPA in Jan 05'? I am planning on going there myself Jan 17th so I can check that box on my app.!!

 

[Speedbird34]

Great school!! enjoy I finished there this time last yr

 

[milflyboy]

I am going 14 Feb

 

[freightdogfred]

When you look around the room, figure out who ya wanna get paired up with for sim......HP's training is like trying to drink water from a fire hose. If you get paired up with a weakling, it makes your studying less efficient, and can ultimately take more time. Find someone who you think is about your same experience/skill level and your training will be easier. So hello to Carson for me, he's a great instructor.

There's no spoon-feeding going on there, if you don't crack the books you'll have a really hard time.

 

[Fem]

HPA is a very good choice for getting your type and making a connection with SW. Out of my class of 10, 9 of us have been interviewed, 6 hired so far. I would say the best way to prepare is to study the "sample" questions. That test will be one of the first things you do, and you need to have an 80% to continue. Be able to draw the fuel system (very standard), but MOST IMPORTANT watch and/or listen to the CD that comes with your study material. This material is what is covered in the lecture and more important the Checkairmen are very familar with the info on the CD. And, of course KNOW the "Red Box" items and Limitations. Spend as much time as you can learning the flows and then if you do get paired with someone less than desireable, blow it off. If they're fumbling around lost, help if you can but sometimes letting them make their own mistakes is the only way they can learn. For those of us that were instructors or IP's we have a tendency to want to do to much. Use that time to mentally go over your calls and flows. Remember when you take your check ride you will NOT be with your sim partner, but an HPA instructor acting as a "new" but fully qualified FO. Enjoy, and good luck...

 

[singlespeed]

Know the JT8D-17, 17A Power Plant. This is what’s in the sim.

I have not if anyone from my class has gotten in yet. My class date was March 04

 

[snoopy_1]

If you want to get familiar with flying the -200 check this out http://tinmouse.org/screenshots.html
It's a free 737-200 for MS Flightsim 2002/2004, it's identical to the real -200 level C sim at Simuflite in Dallas, that's one of the sims that Higher Power uses for training and checkrides, I did mine there. The guy that designed it is a sim technician at Simuflite in Dallas, he has a lot of the systems working like the real sim.

Here's a couple screenshots of a coupled approach into YSSY http://www.flightsimnetwork.com/dcforum/DCForumID8/47758.html

 

[Saluki Dawg]

I'm going May 9th of 05. Thanks for all the gouge on getting prepared and who to get paired up with. I understand what you mean about being paired up with someone who is weak. When I upgraded at my company, I was also paired up with someone a little weak in systems, and it made studying more difficult. If anyone's going in May, drop me a PM. I'm going to send for my books well in advanced so I can really get a jump on studying.

 

[BonesF15]

If all you do is learn your memory items, listen to the cd's with the panel infront of you until you learn it and watch the preflight you will be prepared for the oral.

The cd's are pretty much exactly like the oral, you will also have to recite most if not all of the memory items.

You obviously have to know the practice test cold so you will qualify for the shortened ground school.

Spend the time before you get there so you can use your spare time to go over flows ect in the trainers. That way you can hit the ground running on that first sim. You don't want to be the person who has to buy an extra sim or not get sent to your check. Most people peak on the day of the checkride, and that is stressfull.

Everyone wants to fly the -300 sim because of the autothrottles and autopilot and the date they recieve your deposit determines the priority for the sims.

HPA is a class act, I would go there again.

 

[YeOldeProp]

The folks at HPA are truly good people and put on a High-quality program. Definitely pre-study to "ease" the stress and fire-hose effect that awaits you. As far as a comment from "FEM" about having a qualified HPA instructor in the seat with you for the checkride...my answer is "maybe yes and maybe no". Some folks get the luxury of having an instructor (preferrably Rod) with them, but my partner and I were paired with an "available, fully qualified 737 pilot". He had graduated from the same course about 9 months prior to us. He was a bit short on work and got the gig to sit with us on our checkrides. Truth be told...I'd have really, really preferred to have my "unqualified" sim training partner in on the checkride. He was much calmer than the "sit-in", we worked great together, and he was much sharper than the guest FO. Just mentioning this so you don't go into shock on your checkride when the FO can't remember how to set up the bleed air panel to start the engines.

But...thanks to the outstanding training we got at HPA...we both made it through and got the famous hat. Again...they're a great group of folks to work with and will do all they can to get you through the program safely and competently. (and another vote for Carson to verify him as being a great instructor).

Good luck...