Page 39 - Volume 15 Number 12

headquarters in Orlando, the logical first question involved the state of the firm’s business.As with everything in general aviation currently, David’s answer was mixed; SimCom’s business is directly tied to aircraft turnover, new and used, he pointed out, so the initial course activity is down in these times, while recurrent training numbers have held steady. Insurance requirements don’t go away, and if the aircraft is being flown someone will need training.David stressed, “Coming to training is a bit like visiting the dentist. You know you need to come, but you dread it.” To illustrate the importance of training, he told the story of an owner who was doing recurrent training and was resistant or critical of the amount of time spent on runaway trim. “In all honesty, it was an area he struggled with, mightily; he challenged us, ‘What are the chances this will really happen in real life?’“Not long after he left, he experienced an actual runaway trim incident and he was able to recover successfully. He called me and said, gratefully, “I’m alive today because of the training.”SimCom uses non-motion simulators in many of its courses. “Can they really be effective?” was an obvious question. David answered, “Certainly. You can induce a sensation of motion without actual motion: You get motion cues from your peripheral vision.” We had to agree with him; the wrap- around visuals encountered in our training visits made you glad you fastened the seat belt in the sim.“What sets SimCom apart?” was the next question. David responded in depth. First, he stressed value, always vital to a business relationship. Next, he spoke of personalized training; as we saw earlier, SimCom uses small class sizes, so it can meet the special desires and needs of the client, making it more likely theywill learn something new. Not by rote, however.David went on to stress the continuity of one instructor throughout the course, so they can circle back to cover desired material in the sim. “We want to help them succeed,” he said. Also, company culture is an important part of personalized training. SimCom instructors personally invest themselves in the success oftheir students. Both pros and owner- pilots appreciate this personal approach. This shows up in the 80% repeat business SimCom enjoys in its recurrent courses, David said.SimCom has been around long enough to have established itself as a leader in the training industry. After visiting and experiencing the latest generation of simulators, it’s easy to see why the customers keep com- ingback. T&T•DECEMBER 2011TWIN & TURBINE • 37