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Simulation Technology, Not Just for Airlines

Save time and money—and maybe your life—with some simulator experience.

[Courtesy: Frasca International]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Flight training devices (FTDs) are vital for mitigating aviation risks, offering pilots a controlled environment to practice procedures, correct mistakes, and build good habits safely before real-world flights.
  • The technology has evolved significantly from Edwin Link's mechanical Link Trainer in 1929, which trained thousands of WWII pilots, to modern microprocessor-based systems.
  • Today's FTDs, developed by companies like Frasca, Precision Flight Controls, and Redbird, emphasize performance accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and immersive scenario-based training for a wide range of aircraft.
  • Simulator time is increasingly valued for pilot proficiency and confidence-building, with the FAA recognizing AATD hours towards certifications, highlighting their effectiveness in translating skills to actual flight performance.
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“Aviation in itself is not dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.” —Alfred Gilmer Lamplugh

While many pilots wouldn’t know who came up with Lamplugh’s famous quote, most pilots would agree with it. There is risk in just about every facet of life, but in aviation the inability to manage that risk—because of overconfidence, a lack of preparation, or rusty skills—can be deadly.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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