Of course what Ralf Sorrells says is true for any airplane. There is an AD
on the MU-2 that requires a bunch of modifications to the airplane that none
of them have. The FAA decided to allow an AMOC (alternate method of
compliance) where MU-2 pilots are required to get "approved" training
instead of the modifications to the airplanes. The only approved training
is from Simcom or Reese Howell and by looking at their enrollment, you can
conclude that only about half the pilots are undergoing training. The FAA
should get proactive and start grounding the pilots who aren't in
compliance, but that would be too easy. I guess they figure that each
accident eliminates one airplane and one out or compliance pilot.

You can't buy a MU-2 and just go to a biannual fight review every other year
and you can't get training from you friendly local CFI. The guy
transitioning from a piston twin to a MU-2 without consistant (every year
minimium) specialized training is like a Skyhawk pilot flying a Baron
without a multi rating. The situation is analagous to the piston airline
pilots transitioning to jets in the 50's.

Mike
MU-2



"John" wrote in message
ups.com...
This was snipped from this morning's AvWeb and I wondered what you
thought about it?

MITSUBISHI PILOTS NEED SIMULATOR TIME, COMPANY SAYS
After four fatal crashes of Mitsubishi MU-2 twin turboprops this year,
the manufacturer is recommending that pilots of its planes get
specialized training in flight simulators, Ralph Sorrells, deputy
general manager of Mitsubishi's aircraft product support division, said
in The Denver Post on Saturday. Sorrells said his company is "deeply
concerned, and we're in the process of trying to get the word out"
about the best training practices for MU-2 aviators, the Post said. "I
think it's a great airplane, but it has some unique characteristics,"
John Paul Jones of Colorado, who has logged about 4,800 hours in MU-2
aircraft, told the Post. "If you do not thoroughly understand those
characteristics, you're in a precarious flying position."