Atlanta's Aviation Information Resources (AIR Inc.) has developed an aircraft flight simulator that can save both airlines and pilot job applicants hundreds of dollars yet deliver the same results as an $18 million full-motion simulator.

Based on Laminar Systems XPlane off-the-shelf computer simulation program, AIR Inc. has adapted the program so it can simulate the cockpit of everything from a twin- engine turboprop to the latest Boeing [BA] and Airbus aircraft. It can also duplicate any U.S. airport and a multitude of weather conditions.

The expanded simulator and interview prep center is widely used by pilots seeking an entry-level position with a regional airline, said Kit Darby, AIR Inc.'s president. It is also used by regional pilots seeking a job with a major airline flying larger aircraft, he added.

If a pilot trying to get a position with a carrier flying a regional jet has never flown aircraft with a digital, or "glass" cockpit, the pilot may have a difficult time passing the airline's simulation test. The availability of a full-motion RJ simulator and the expense of renting practice time often exceeds the job candidate's financial ability.

"If you can get a couple hours of practice, that can make a real difference in how you handle the airplane. In our view the option of spending more than a $1,000 is a big leap for someone who is now a flight instructor or charter pilot," Darby told Regional Aviation News. "They don't make a lot of money, especially those trying for an entry-level position."

AIR Inc., which specializes in providing career consulting services to pilots, charges as little as $250 for a 90-minute practice session accompanied by a flight instructor's critique. Its total job prep package includes three hours on the simulator as well as sessions coaching the candidate on how to perform in the interview.

Based in Atlanta, AIR Inc. is frequently used by those interviewing at Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), AirTran Airways [AAI] and World Airways [WLD]. Darby said ASA applicants do not know ahead of time if they will be tested on a full-motion simulator for the Bombardier [BBD] CRJ 200 or the CRJ 700. Each plane handles differently. It would cost $1,800 to practice on both simulators at Flight Safety. Darby said the desktop simulator can be programmed so the candidate can practice on both.

As a desktop device, it does not have motion, he said. "From a pilot's point of view it is more demanding. It is easier to fly when you get the feedback from the motion." The simulator allows the job candidate to practice flying from either the captain's chair or the first officer's position.

Many applicants schedule a prep session the day before the interview, he said.

Even experienced pilots, he said, benefit from the prep course. The job candidate may not have flown the same aircraft or airports. The prep time gives a candidate a chance to "warm up. When you get in a stressful situation, one small mistake can be damning. By practicing, the candidate can rehearse for the sim test and be confident," Darby said.

AIR Inc. is the only independent center offering desktop simulators. Darby advises a job candidate to come a week or two prior to an interview. The advance time gives the applicant time to make adjustments or to practice flying based on the comments of the simulator's flight instructor.

Darby's staff is working on the simulator's software so that it can be sold as a "take home" program for use with a home computer equipped with a joy stick. "We are not there yet," he added.

While AIR Inc. provides job candidates with pre-interview assistance, the firm also makes its facilities available to airlines for candidate testing.

World Airways is the first to use the expanded simulator center. Last week it tested its second group of pilot candidates using the desktop software to simulate an MD-80, said R.K. Smithley, the carrier's chief pilot. World had previously used the full-motion simulators at nearby Delta Air Lines [DAL]. "That was expensive," he said.

"I like what I see," Smithley told Regional Aviation News. "I have flown them myself. I was very skeptical at first. My interview board has flown it as recently as last night. We are all of the opinion it does the job we need to do in evaluating an applicant. AIR Inc. is very receptive to accommodating our suggestions and needs."

To offer World Airways a full range of screening services, Darby said AIR Inc. has re-instituted its aptitude and cognitive skills testing center. The Web-based test now provides the carrier with the applicants' test results before the one-on-one interviews begin.

>>Contacts: Kit Darby, AIR Inc., (404) 592-6615; R.K. Smithley, World Airways, (770) 632-8322.<<