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20 Hours of Sim Time for Instrument Students? Well, No

Credit: UMES.edu
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The FAA has withdrawn its recent policy that increased allowable simulator time for instrument ratings from 10 to 20 hours and removed the requirement for Foggles in simulators.
  • As a result, instrument students are once again limited to 10 hours of simulator time, and Foggles must be worn while flying on instruments in a simulator.
  • The reversal was triggered by a single negative comment from a flight instructor who raised concerns about the effectiveness and realism of advanced aviation training devices.
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Remember when we made a big deal last month about the FAA permitting more training time in flight simulators to count toward the instrument rating? Well forget about it. The FAA formally withdrew that policy today, and then reinstated the mind-boggling requirement that instrument students wear Foggles or other view-limiting devices while flying on instruments in a simulator.

The reason for the withdrawal? The agency received one negative comment from someone who apparently didn’t like the changes.

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