Flight Sims for the Win: It’s All About Repetition and Drill

Here’s how to use aviation training devices (ATDs) to flatten the learning curve.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 09:06 AM ET

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One way to for a student pilot to apply skills learned is to utilize an aviation training device (ATD), colloquially known as a simulator. [Courtesy: Redbird Flight Simulations]

Key Takeaways:

Aviation Training Devices (ATDs) are crucial for flight training, enabling scenario-based learning that bridges the gap between skill drills and real-world application in a safe, controlled environment.
ATDs allow instructors to simulate critical and often dangerous situations, such as engine failures, VFR into IFR conditions, challenging crosswind landings, and complex navigation, which are difficult to practice safely in an actual aircraft.
These customizable scenarios enhance a learner's decision-making, situational awareness, and emergency response skills by presenting realistic challenges that can be adjusted in complexity and pace.
Instructors can leverage ATDs to introduce diverse challenges like instrument failures, practice comprehensive navigation methods (from VORs to GPS), and prepare pilots for a wide array of real-world flying conditions.

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Repetition and drill for skill acquisition are an integral part of flight training, but they are only a piece of the puzzle. It is important that the learner understands how these skills are applied in the real world. One way to make this happen is to utilize an aviation training device (ATD), colloquially known as a simulator, for scenario-based training.

The beauty of the ATD is that scenarios can be created and adjusted to compensate for the learner’s changing skill level. It can also be reset with a few keystrokes, providing a more expedient learning environment. Here are a few scenarios that you might find useful.

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.