Instrument Flight Simulator – Federal Aviation Administration Approves of Flight Simulators For Counting Toward Instrument Flight Rating
If you happen to be a private pilot planning to add an Instrument Rating to your ticket, then you should already be aware of the fact that the FAA allows you to fly up to at most 20 hours of dual-instruction time training in an instrument flight simulator to be counted as credit towards your instrument rating.
Of course you may spend greater than 20 hours training in a simulator, but only the first 20 hours will apply, and each of those twenty needs to be spent with an instructor and not on your own, using an FAA approved flight simulation program. (You are of course free to spend as much time as you wish on a home simulator for the PC to maximize the amount of time you get to practice and perfect your techniques.)
There are a number of reasons why the Federal Aviation Administration allows you to use a flight simulator to log instrument training time in lieu of time spent operating an actual aircraft.
Among the reasons is because instrument flight simulator software is able to duplicate the behavior and performance of a real airplane down to the tiniest detail. Therefore, training for instrument flight in a simulator is pretty much the same experience as training for instrument flight in a real airplane when flying blind.
The primary difference between these 2 experiences of simulated versus actual flight (as it relates to instrument training) is that you won’t be able to experience the sensations of movement that could otherwise fool you, resulting in spatial disorientation, during certain maneuvers in flight such as climbs, turns, and descents.
Considering all of the sophistication in computer software technology that we have available at our disposal in this day and age, in the 21st century, one of the greatest tools that every pilot, without regard to whether he or she is a beginner pilot or an ace pilot, must have at his or her disposal, is a reputable flight simulation program.
A flight simulation program can help to narrow the gap during those unexpected periods of lengthy downtime between flights.
It could also help you to improve on your skills, help you maintain proficiency, and could even allow you to earn some additional practice in those areas in which you could see some improvement.
Flight simulators can help you become a safer pilot.
They can also help you to save money, as well as time, on extra training or unnecessarily having to repeat flying the same practice maneuvers over and over again.
The good news is that, flight simulator technology is so advanced, that piloting a simulator is almost every bit as realistic as piloting the real thing. The instrument panel is identical. The control inputs are identical. The world “map” programmed into the simulator is based on real life cartographic data. The way the aircraft performs to various internal (weight and balance, fuel, aircraft performance) as well as external (weather phenomena, air temperature) forces is designed to imitate real life scenarios.
For a lot of people, a flight simulation program is nothing more than a really high-tech video game. And on many levels, it can be enjoyed as such. After all, you never have to concern yourself about crashing the airplane in a simulator!
But for many others, a flight simulation program is a robust learning tool, and for many professional pilots, it is fundamental pillar of their aviation career.
Download and start flying your very own instruiment flight simulator today.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Instrument-Flight-Simulator—FAA-Approves-of-Flight-Simulators-As-Credit-Toward-Instrument-Rating&id=4144220
Real Flight Simulator