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Unique to TRU, half of the ground school is conducted in the ight training device known as the Integra – a full- ight cabin with the same control loading, ight dynamics, and avionics components as the real aircraft.
TWIN & TURBINE: Can you tell me about your aviation background?
POPE: Primarily, I am a former military pilot – 28 years of active duty. I have been retired from the military for 20 years but have served in various aviation roles. I was with a freight company (became DHL) for 11 years, and then I flew with a small aviation company out of Virginia for eight years performing government contract work. I tried to retire at that point offi- cially, but for me, that did not work. I soon found TRU online, liked the idea of teach- ing and have been here for nearly a year.
PROVENZANO: I have been flying for over 30 years. After I earned all of my rat- ings, I flew traffic reporting to build 1,200 hours. Following that job, I flew cancelled bank checks in a number of aircraft like the 210, 310, Shrike Commander, and later the MU2. I then did freight for 11 years before getting my first corporate job and my first type rating in a Beechjet. I also flew a CJ2 for a private owner for a period. Today, I have six different type ratings.
TWIN & TURBINE: Can you walk me through a typical day in the life of a TRU instructor?
POPE: First, I will admit that I came here thinking this was going to be an easy job. But once I got here and started teaching, I discovered it is actually challenging – but I enjoy the challenge. If it’s a ground school day, I’ll show up at least an hour ahead to prepare the lesson and paper- work. Then it’s four hours teaching in the classroom followed by four hours in the Integra. On a sim day, we will complete a five-hour block (2.5 hours for each cli- ent). This is followed by a debriefing. It normally ends up being a solid 8-hour day.
PROVENZANO: It depends on the schedule. But I’d say typically ground school starts at 8 a.m., so I will arrive at 7 to get the lesson prepared prior to the students’ arrival. On a sim day, I will
do the same thing to ensure there are no surprises or delays with the equip- ment when the student arrives. But the schedule constantly changes based on the number of pilots and the need. There is a lot of variation among the CJs as well, particularly with avionics. I have to mentally prepare myself for which product I am going to be teaching that day.
TWIN & TURBINE: In your opinion, what are the benefits of sim flying versus in-aircraft?
POPE: The sim allows you to do and practice all of the malfunctions and emer- gencies you cannot simulate in the real airplane. The technology today is phe- nomenal; the simulator mimics precisely what the actual airplane will feel like. So, it is all about teaching what the airplane is capable of doing, how the airplane will handle in a situation, and how the cli- ent can come out of that situation safely.
PROVENZANO: The ability to fly into various airports is very beneficial. We can easily practice at airports that present dif- ferent challenges with weather, runway or altitudes. Also, it’s helpful when we com- plete a procedure, and we have the option to restart, reset, and do it as many times as needed until the client is proficient. And of course, the biggest thing is you can do things in the simulator that you could never do in the plane for safety reasons.
TWIN & TURBINE: What do you enjoy most about working with owner-pilots?
POPE: They come to us with their ex- pectations of how they are going to em- ploy the airplane - whether it be flying into Aspen, Colorado or landing at their ranch in Brazil. They fly the same air- plane day in and day out, and because it is their personal investment, they tend to want to know more about the specifics about the airplane. If they can identify issues, it saves time and money in maintaining the airplane. It is my
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