Both MCC and APS MCC courses develop the transition from single-pilot training towards effective work in a multi-pilot flight deck. APS MCC adds a more airline-oriented framework and prescribed elements intended to prepare pilots for airline-style operations and assessment.
The purpose is behavioural as well as technical
The value is not learning the cosmetic layout of one simulator. It is learning to brief, share tasks, monitor, communicate, manage threats, use procedures and support safe decision-making as a crew.
Questions to ask a provider
- Which course approval is being delivered?
- How much simulator time is pilot flying and pilot monitoring?
- What device and aircraft representation are used?
- How are technical knowledge and competency development integrated?
- Who instructs the course and what current airline-training experience do they bring?
- How is performance debriefed and recorded?
Do airlines always require the same course?
No. Recruitment requirements vary by operator, programme and licensing system. Read the current vacancy criteria for realistic target employers rather than assuming the more expensive label is universally mandatory.
A good course changes how you work with another pilot. If you finish with only a collection of call-outs and little understanding of monitoring, workload and intervention, the expensive simulator has not done enough.
Prepare before attending
Arrive comfortable with instrument basics, standard operating discipline, clear briefings and receiving feedback. The course is intensive; using early sessions to relearn basic scan or arithmetic reduces the capacity available for multi-crew development.