Just got back from initial training for the 340A with Rick McGuire at AST in Burnett as well. I agree with literally all the comments I read here. This is a first class operation. The sim is top notch – no squawks, literally everything works like it should in a real airplane and the X-Plane core flies exceptionally well. While I don’t have SimCom or RTC experience, I have flown the full motion RedBird quite a bit and found it incredibly frustrating having to work around the limitations of the RedBird simulation. So I really wanted to find the best sim out there. This unit is that sim, I’m sure of it. It just goes and you’re not spending a bunch of time trying to get “used to the sim”. It’s a very solid platform, so you can be assured your time won’t be spent working on glitches. Rick also has a nice G1000 simulator (non motion) which I found extremely helpful to put time in behind the glass if you’re transitioning into that from steam.
As has been said before, the class is taught by Rick personally and honestly that was the deciding factor. Rick is very much like all of us. He’s a business owner, an attorney, and has a 340 and a 421. He has flown many hours cross country for business and pleasure and dealt with all the same maintenance issues we all face. His experience is relatable to the mission of flying friends or family but his airline experience would resonate with corporate pilots as well. As an A&P he has an up close and personal take on the mechanics. He can really take a deep dive when you want to know the details behind something. When I looked around I did not find that same experience in any other program.
In addition to providing what I would consider your core curricula, Rick provides a wealth of collateral knowledge. You’ll talk about insurance, spares, ramp hacks, etc., just like you would with a pilot buddy.
I can’t wait to build some time in the 340 and get back there for a recurrent.