The FAA has given the nod to the TouchTrainer – a home-based basic avionics training device (BATD) based on the X-Plane software with which you can stay instrument current in the comfort of your own home. You can even log up to 10 hours toward your instrument rating with this system, as long as you have an instructor by your side. The producer of the TouchTrainer, a company called Fly This Sim, claims this as the first touch screen, home-based simulator to be certified by the FAA.
The simulator displays the cockpit view – the outside view as well as the avionics panel – on a large Acer touch-capable computer screen. Some avionics input is done on a separate auxiliary display. This setup appears to be very logical since avionics input is often completed in a separate column in the airplane. The setup also allows for a larger sized instrument panel on the main display.
