Aviation Simulation Equals Elation! 5 Things to Know About Flight Simulators
The global flight simulator revenue was valued at $4.6 billion in 2019.
12% of the industry comes from new defense training measures. Another chunk comes from hobbyists who love to experience aircraft flight.
What is flight simulation used for?
Read on to learn five interesting facts about flight simulators
What is Flight Simulation?
Flight simulation is any device that re-creates what it is like to fly an aircraft.
Flight simulators are used for pilot training, aircraft design as well as for enjoyment for flight enthusiasts who want to experience flying an F-18 Super Hornet.
Here are five things you probably didn’t know about flight simulators.
- Flight Simulators Popped Up After Wright Brothers Took to the Sky
Many people believe that flight simulators are a product of the modern era. In fact, early flight simulators started cropping up within 10 years of the first flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright.
These simulators were designed to allow pilots to practice basic airplane maneuvers.
It wasn’t until 1929 that the first true flight simulator, the Link Blue Box, appeared.
This flight simulator had a full cockpit with all the instruments and a cockpit cover to block the view outside the simulator. It was mounted on a pedestal and could turn, roll and pitch just like the real thing.
The Link Blue Box allowed pilots to practice their instrumentation without any visual reference in the sky. They could train to maintain level flight, controlled climb or descent just by using the instrument panel.
Soon, commercial airlines began using the Link Trainer for training their pilots. The US government also began purchasing these simulators in 1934 and bought thousands as WWII drew closer.
- Flight Simulators Come in Various Sizes
Flight simulators range in sizes. From desktop machines to full-motion rigs that are as big as a house.
Yet, all of these machines come at a fraction of the price tag of the aircraft they are designed to replicate. That means that organizations can train pilots without putting the aircraft (or the safety of the pilot) on the line.
- Pilots Can Experience Dangerous Scenarios in Simulation
What is flight simulation if not to gain experience?
One of the huge benefits of flight simulators is that they allow instructors to put their pilots-in-training in extreme scenarios.
These situations would be too dangerous to attempt in an aircraft. This type of training is crucial for pilots.
They need to practice these real-life situations in a safe environment. That way, if the situation happens in a real aircraft, they have experience and will know what to do.
- Simulators are Cost-Effective Training
Training in a real airplane, especially when practicing difficult exercises, is too expensive.
The risk of losing an aircraft due to a training accident is way too high a cost, to say nothing about the risk to the trainee pilot.
That’s why flight simulators are so important in training. They recreate the experience of being in flight closely and advances in technology mean that the experience is always getting more and more like the real thing
- Flight Simulators Can Track a Pilot’s Progress
Flight simulators are computers. One of the benefits of this is that it allows for minute tracking of a pilot’s progress.
The simulator can measure and chart a pilot’s improvement over a given period of time. This gives concrete data that instructors can use to give feedback to their trainees.
Claim Your Piece of the Sky
Thanks for reading these five facts about flight simulators. Now when someone asks you what is flight simulation, you will have an answer.
Are you ready for an immersive and realistic flight experience? At Altitude Flight Simulation Centre, the open sky awaits. No experience necessary.