waazzuupp illinipilot welcome, twotter 76 is 90% correct. It is true that they are backed up but some more than others. For instance I am on the X and finished initial on 8/16 ( by the way, very impressive training). It is now 9/10 and just received word that I will start ground training on 9/25. I was told by training schedulers that roughly my time frame (8/16) of initial of all types of iron was to start the new way of ground training to minimize large gaps from initial to IOE.
Old school was to complete initial/normal FSI ran 2 day loft then large gap of drinking many corona (2-3 months) then come back to do roughly 5 days of ground training. Which included some aircraft and performance review, how to do a walkaround, know where the princesses beverage of choice is and her playing cards are while ending up with 3 bounces in whith the plane you chose to strap on your back. Wait for paper work to go through (once your IOE training captain gave a thimbs up), drink some more corona's for 2 weeks (with lime of course). Than and only than will you now actually fly the princess around (well you won't, the captain will but you'll run the radios).
New school dictates that you still do loft except now accompanying FSI instructors are NJA IOE guys/girls so they can lead you in the right direction if FSI did not (they did for our class). This is to avoid doing more or less pattern work in your bird down the line. This was to save money and that's fine because it works. However you will still do 3 bounces in definately the X and I believe I was told the soverign, thats it for iron. This is because they have very different t/o characteristics due to wing (X) and tail (soverign) design. Then with getting more efficient in paper work (not losing it) there able to get you on line quicker.
That's it I hoped I cleared up some ??????? and the X really is an AWSOME aircraft to fly. I know some, for whatever reason, critics will come out of the woodwork and say something differently but who cares I'M EMPLOYED BABY by a great company.
