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Jet Journal Citation Training at LOFT Aero by Rich Pickett PHOTO BY AUTHOR Irecently added an FAA Part 135 Citation 525-series Captain position with Jet Methods (based at Palomar, California) to my aviation experiences. The process required an interesting combination of ground, online and f light training. Each charter certificate holder has a set of FAA-approved operating specifications known as “OpSpecs.” They detail everything from dispatching the airplane, maintenance, takeoff and approach minimums, to how much dry ice you can carry! Even after 40 years as a CFI, there were regulations and procedures that I had never seen. Under Part 135 operations, the Part 91 61.58 annual recurrent training isn’t sufficient to meet the charter require- ment; hence you have to complete a program that is approved within the OpSpecs. While the content is simi- lar, it involves expanded ground and simulator content, including Part 135 regulations, f light procedures, and, of course, more paperwork. In my case, it provided a chance to train at LOFT Aero in Carlsbad, California – a stone’s throw from Palomar Airport (KCRQ) just north of San Diego. LOFT Aero Noel Yantos is the founder and presi- dent of LOFT. A number of years ago, I trained for my first Cessna-series type rating under his Flight Crew Sys- tem’s FAR Part 61 Citation 500 train- ing program in a Cessna Citation 501. Except for an instrument proficiency check in an FTD, all training was in the airplane. Noel realized that while his Part 61 training program was very successful, it was time to move up to another level. He started the development of LOFT’s current Part 142 training program in 2010. Assembling a team of experi- enced aviators with Part 121 and Part 135 experience, LOFT created its first syllabus in six months. For those in the aviation training industry, you know this is no trivial exercise. The fact that they created the syllabus in six months is impressive of itself. The company’s first venture targeted the Cessna Citation 525 type rating, which applies to one of the broadest arrays of aircraft models from the Citation CJ to the CJ4. The creation of a Part 142 simulator training pro- gram is an extensive project involving the development of the syllabus, cur- riculum, instructor training, facility, Class C or D f light simulators – and the FAA must approve every step. For the development of its Class D simulator, LOFT engaged Aeronautical Systems Engineering (ASE) in Florida. With- in the Citation 525 series, the CJ1 is the most prolific model, so it made sense to start with that particular aircraft simulator. Each area of a Part 142 training program is governed by a differ- ent group within the FAA. The 14 • TWIN & TURBINE / May 2020 Jet Journal