MY 2 CENTS By Randy Rowles FLIGHT TRAINING IN TODAY’S SIMULATED WORLD
WHERE SHOULD THE REGULATORS FIT?
As the quality and cost of flight simulation decreases, the regulatory limitations on its use within the flight training industry remain stagnant. Looking much like they did decades ago, the credits offered on the use of simulation provide very little in
the way of aeronautical decision-
making (ADM) and focus on simulation versus flight-hour credits on limited aircraft-based maneuvers. Does this maneuver, credit-based simulation model truly capture the capabilities of the flight training simulation available today?
Many years ago, we acquired an FAA- approved flight training device (FTD) for use in our flight school. The acquisition model at the time was purely based upon the hours of flight training credit the FTD would provide back to the customer. Approved maneuvers were inclusive of both VFR and IFR training; however, the IFR training credits far outweighed those of VFR maneuvers. The ability to offset 20 hours of instrument flight training into the FTD was a tremendous savings to the customer, and the training quality was quite good.
My curiosity, though, caused me to seek out additional areas of training where the FTD would thrive, even if no FAA training credit was available. Our staff developed scenarios to include cross-country dual and solo flights, teaching our tour pilots routes and airspace checkpoints, as well as simple local area orientation flights to new pilots and instructor staff. Although we found success in these training
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events, the real benefit was found during flight instructor training.
Using the FTD, which had dual controls, we were able to enhance the flight instructor’s learning exponentially by simply exposing the student to elements that previously were available only through time in the aircraft. Initial quality enhancements were found in the ability of the instructor to articulate each maneuver much more precisely, accurately, and effectively. This improved articulation came from the hours spent practicing in the FTD at a fraction of the cost of flying the actual helicopter.
An additional benefit achieved was the ability to introduce the instructor-in- training to the techniques of instructional intervention. The ability in aircraft to rapidly lower the collective during a power failure at a hover, engage the incorrect pedal during a power failure at altitude, or not lower the collective during an autorotative entry would place an actual aircraft in a potentially compromised and unsafe condition. Within the simulated world, the ability to introduce the student to these common mistakes of the average student enhanced their situational awareness and mitigation strategies as a flight instructor. The outcome is a safer, more prepared flight instructor and a reduction of accidents within the flight training environment.
During a Part 141 base inspection, an FAA inspector observed a flight instructor
student receiving instruction in the FTD. Upon debrief a negative
of the base inspection, write up of non-compliant
use of the FTD for training of a flight instructor was noted. We were advised that nowhere within the Training Course Outline (TCO) was it approved to provide FTD training in lieu of flight training and this action was contrary to the regulations. As our FTD was listed within our TCOs for other courses, the inspector’s specific issue was its use with a flight instructor student. The Inspector was correct that using the FTD in lieu of flight training was not permitted, but its use in support of ground training or just for practice was in fact regulatory compliant. As this was our intended path, the issue went away.
The event I’ve just described occurred almost 25 years ago. While we’ve seen the technology and capabilities of simulation improve to near-realistic visuals and true- to-feel flight controls, the regulations that could credit this technology for use have changed very little. The ability to use an FTD in an FAA-approved flight instructor course of training remains non-compliant. This is truly ridiculous!
The simulated world and the equipment utilized to engage that world continues to improve and, in many cases, the cost of this technology is decreasing. Virtual reality, a term used by gamers and other
virtual-experience enthusiasts,
is changing the landscape of the flight training simulation market. The ability to create a visual world combined with
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