LostMySim

As my simulator was nearing completion in July 2018, Carl left his company because of some conflict with their new investor, Meiya Group, chaired by Roland Pinto. I wont go into specifics, but after paying in full for my simulator about 18 months ago, Mr. Pinto ultimately ignored all my attempts to get my sim. The Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association, another big proponent of FlyThisSim (FTS), has now advised their members, Any dealing with FTS is at high risk of non-delivery and potential loss of funds exchanged.

Editorial Staff

Monday, September 02, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author's previously endorsed simulator company, FlyThisSim (FTS), failed to deliver a custom simulator after its co-founder departed, leading to warnings from other aviation groups about FTS's unreliability.
A required in-airplane checkride (IPC) revealed proficiency shortcomings not apparent in simulator-only training, prompting the author to re-evaluate his reliance solely on sims.
The author now advocates for combining simulator training with actual in-airplane flight time for optimal proficiency and legality, and plans to build his own non-certified simulator to achieve this balance.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Unless this is your very first issue of IFR Magazine, you’re familiar with me pushing simulator training to maintain proficiency. In my case, I periodically attend formal training at one of the commercial simulator facilities. Beyond that, I’ve used a local simulator to maintain proficiency.

(Note that I use “proficiency” and “legality” as separate concepts, as you should. Legality keeps the FAA happy. Proficiency keeps my passengers happy.)