PILOTS WHO
KNOW THE FIELD.
A Fam-Ex session is only as good as the pilot guiding it. Every instructor in our network is a vetted, current or retired commercial pilot with genuine personal experience at the airports they cover, not a briefing pack and a simulator background.
The Name
Fam-Ex is a military term, short for Familiarisation Exercise. In military aviation, a Fam-Ex is a structured sortie flown specifically to build familiarity with a new airfield, route, or operating environment before operational tasking begins. We borrowed the term deliberately. The principle is identical.
VETTED.
QUALIFIED. LOCAL.
Current or Recent Commercial Licence
Every Fam-Ex instructor holds or has recently held a commercial pilot licence, CPL, ATPL, or equivalent. No armchair experts.
Genuine Local Knowledge
Instructors are matched to airports they have personally flown into, multiple times, in varied conditions. Local knowledge that goes beyond what's in the charts.
Instructional Ability
Technical knowledge alone isn't enough. Our instructors are selected for their ability to communicate clearly, brief effectively, and guide a crew through a session.
Vetted & Approved
Every instructor goes through a structured vetting process before joining the Fam-Ex network. Credentials verified, local knowledge assessed, session quality monitored.
MORE THAN A
TOUR GUIDE.
A Fam-Ex instructor isn't reading from a script. They've flown that approach, taxied those routes, and dealt with the conditions that catch out visiting crews. Their job is to transfer that experience to you, before you need it.
Every session is matched, briefed, and debriefed by the same instructor. You're not handed off between staff, you get one pilot who knows your destination and your operation.
Airport Matching
When a session is booked, we match the crew with an instructor who has genuine personal experience at that specific airport, not just the nearest available pilot.
Pre-Session Brief
The instructor reviews the crew's aircraft type, planned operation, and any specific concerns before the session. Every brief is tailored, not templated.
Live Commentary
Throughout the MSFS 2024 session the instructor provides real-time guidance, terrain features, visual cues, local traffic patterns, gotchas, and the things that aren't in the charts.
Debrief
After the session the instructor debriefs the crew, answers questions, and confirms the key takeaways. The session ends when the crew is genuinely familiar.
JOIN THE
FAM-EX NETWORK.
Are you a current or recently active commercial pilot with genuine local knowledge of challenging airports? Fam-Ex is building its instructor network ahead of launch in late 2026 / early 2027.
The experience you've built up over the years is priceless, and it can earn you an income. Spare time at home, layover hours between flights, or downtime in a hotel room can all be turned into productive, paid sessions guiding professional crews through the airports you know best.
Use your own hardware or purchase one of our dedicated Instructor Stations, purpose-built for remote Fam-Ex sessions and available to approved network pilots.
Express InterestInstructor Requirements
What We're Looking For
BOOK A SESSION WITH
A FAM-EX INSTRUCTOR
Tell us your destination and aircraft type. We'll match you with the right local pilot and schedule your familiarisation session.
Book a Session