Learn what simulator training is, what cadet pilots practise, how closely devices match aircraft, and when simulator time counts.
Simulator training is structured practice in a simulated cockpit. Flight simulators are used to train pilots in procedures, instruments, systems, crew co-ordination and emergencies. Regulator-qualified devices may provide task-specific licence or checking credit; consumer “sim” software and home cockpits are mainly preparation tools and are not automatically approved or loggable.
This answer concerns Aviation & Real-World Flying. In professional aviation, “simulator” may describe anything from a part-task avionics trainer to an aircraft-specific full-flight simulator with motion, so the device category and its approval matter more than how realistic it looks.
What is simulator training, and is a flight simulator used to train pilots?
Yes; formal simulator training turns a defined syllabus objective into a controlled, repeatable lesson without exposing an aircraft, crew or passengers to unnecessary risk.
An instructor can introduce poor visibility, equipment failures, demanding approaches or high-workload situations at a precise point, then pause, reposition or repeat the exercise. That makes simulation particularly valuable for instrument procedures and emergencies that would be unsafe, expensive or impractical to reproduce repeatedly in an aircraft.
A formal session normally follows this sequence:
- Brief the objective: The instructor defines the exercise, aircraft state, expected standard, procedures and crew duties.
- Configure the scenario: Weather, runway, aircraft mass, position and system condition are set for the lesson.
- Practise individual tasks: A manoeuvre, checklist or failure can be repeated until the underlying error is understood.
- Run the scenario in real time: The pilot or crew applies the skills without constant interruption.
- Debrief the result: The instructor reviews decisions, flight parameters, communications and the point at which performance began to deteriorate.
A flight simulator used for pilot training is chosen for the particular task, not for appearance alone. A simple trainer may be ideal for learning an avionics sequence, while accurate handling, aircraft systems and two-pilot workflows may call for a qualified full-flight simulator.
What kind of simulator training do cadet pilots get?
Cadets usually progress from procedural and instrument trainers to multi-crew and aircraft-specific simulation, although the order and amount depend on the approved course and intended career path. Simulator work remains one part of the wider training route from first lessons to supervised airline operations.
Early procedural and avionics trainers
Early training often uses screen-based software, cockpit diagrams, fixed mock-ups or part-task trainers to teach control locations, checklist flows and basic avionics.
These devices are useful because the cadet can stop and examine each step without using valuable aircraft time. They are not necessarily approved for licence credit, and many are not intended to teach control feel or aircraft handling.
Instrument and navigation trainers
Approved fixed-base devices can teach the instrument scan, radio navigation, course interception, holding, approach setup, missed approaches and workload management.
The precise labels vary between authorities and may include FTD, FNPT or ATD categories. Our guide to approved flight training devices and their training roles explains why qualification level and permitted tasks must be checked rather than inferred from the equipment fitted.
Multi-crew co-operation training
Multi-crew training teaches cadets to operate as a two-pilot team rather than as two individuals sharing a cockpit.
Exercises cover pilot-flying and pilot-monitoring duties, call-outs, standard operating procedures, briefings, cross-checking, communication and decision-making under workload. The handling exercise matters, but the main training objective is often how the crew detects, discusses and manages a developing problem.
Aircraft-specific full-flight simulator sessions
During a type rating or airline preparation, cadets may train in a qualified full-flight simulator representing a specific aircraft type and approved configuration.
Sessions can include normal operations, rejected take-offs, engine failures, system malfunctions, low-visibility procedures, go-arounds and line-oriented scenarios. Some cadets encounter this stage only after initial licensing and airline selection. For a closer look at the equipment, see how an aircraft-specific airline simulator reproduces systems, controls and failures.
How closely does simulator training match the real aircraft?
A qualified full-flight simulator can reproduce an approved aircraft configuration very closely, but its fidelity is task-specific rather than absolute.
| Training area | What can match closely | What remains different |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit layout | Control positions, displays, panels, seating and normal crew sight lines can closely represent the specified aircraft configuration. | Individual aircraft may have different options, software standards or operator modifications. |
| Systems and avionics | Normal logic, indications, automation modes, system interactions and selected failures can be modelled in depth. | No device reproduces every obscure fault, maintenance condition or undocumented aircraft behaviour. |
| Instrument procedures | Headings, altitudes, navigation, holds, approaches, minimums and missed-approach procedures can be trained accurately. | Live traffic, radio congestion, changing clearances and navigation-data differences can alter the real operation. |
| Handling | A qualified simulator is tested against approved data within its defined envelope and can provide representative control loading, response and motion cues. | Motion systems have limited travel and cannot sustain real acceleration or reproduce every vibration, control force and airframe variation. |
| Take-off and landing | Runway geometry, visibility, crosswinds, aircraft configuration and many visual cues can be reproduced well enough for approved training. | Depth perception, peripheral vision, surface texture, gusts and subtle flare or touchdown sensations are not identical to the aircraft. |
| Crew workflows | Briefings, checklist use, call-outs, monitoring, task sharing and decision-making can closely follow operator procedures. | The simulator cannot fully recreate passengers, cabin events, live operational pressure or the consequences of damaging an actual aircraft. |
| Abnormal situations | Selected engine, electrical, hydraulic, flight-control and indication failures can be introduced safely and repeatedly. | Real danger, sustained physical stress, smoke, heat, smell and unpredictable combinations of events cannot all be duplicated faithfully. |
“High fidelity” therefore needs a follow-up question: high fidelity for which task? A fixed-base trainer may be entirely suitable for an instrument approach even though it cannot reproduce landing forces. Conversely, impressive visuals and a moving seat do not prove that the systems, flight model or training programme have regulatory approval.
Which simulator time counts towards a pilot licence?
Simulator time counts only when the relevant aviation authority recognises the exact device, qualification, exercise, course and supervision arrangements.
| Device category | Typical role | Possible training credit |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified full-flight simulator | Aircraft-specific handling, type ratings, line scenarios, emergencies and recurrent checks | May receive substantial credit within an approved programme |
| Approved fixed-base training device | Instrument flying, navigation, cockpit procedures, systems and selected manoeuvres | May count only for the tasks and hours authorised for that device and course |
| Procedural or part-task trainer | Avionics, checklists, systems and cockpit familiarisation | Credit depends on specific approval; many provide practice but no loggable time |
| Consumer desktop, console or VR simulator | Familiarisation, chair flying and self-directed rehearsal | Normally no licence credit unless the complete installation and its use have explicit approval |
Names such as FFS, FTD, FNPT and ATD are not interchangeable, and their privileges differ between authorities. Approval applies to the complete device, software and hardware configuration. Installing realistic controls or an aircraft add-on at home does not turn a consumer setup into an approved training device.
Before paying for credited simulator time, ask which authority qualified the device, its exact designation, which syllabus exercise it satisfies, who must supervise the session and how the time will be recorded. A logbook entry containing the word “simulator” does not make unapproved practice count.
How can cadets use a home flight simulator effectively?
A home simulator is most useful when it prepares a cadet or student pilot for instruction rather than attempting to replace it.
- Good uses: checklist rehearsal, cockpit flows, radio-navigation concepts, instrument scans, avionics programming, approach setup and practising when to make standard calls.
- Use with caution: visual circuits, stalls, crosswind technique and manual handling, because consumer flight models, controls and visual displays vary greatly.
- Learn in the aircraft: control feel, landing judgement, flare height, peripheral visual cues, turbulence response and recognition of physical stall or acceleration cues require instruction in the real aircraft.
Start with the checklist and procedure supplied or approved by the instructor, not an arbitrary online flow or one designed for a different aircraft variant. Our method for practising simulator checklists and cockpit flows shows how to build familiarity without replacing understanding with memorised button presses.
Control setup matters. Calibrate each axis, remove duplicate bindings, confirm that pedals and throttles move in the correct direction, and avoid excessive sensitivity or a large centre dead zone. An unstable frame rate, poor viewing position or spring-loaded desktop control can encourage over-controlling, so handling performance should not be treated as a verdict on real flying ability.
What simulator mistakes create bad habits?
The most damaging habit is repeating an inaccurate procedure until it feels automatic.
- Using the wrong aircraft configuration: Match the variant, instruments and avionics to the training aircraft as closely as practical; otherwise, rehearse only the common parts of the procedure.
- Chasing switches without mode awareness: After each avionics selection, state what changed, what indication confirms it and what the aircraft will do next.
- Pausing whenever workload rises: Pause while first learning a sequence, then repeat it in real time so that workload management is tested.
- Watching instruments during visual flight: A monitor encourages fixation. Maintain an external scan and leave visual judgement to aircraft instruction if the display cannot provide credible cues.
- Trusting every flight model: Consumer aircraft may model systems well but handling poorly, or the reverse. Do not treat unexplained simulator behaviour as proof of real-aircraft behaviour.
- Skipping the debrief: Record the error, its cause and the correction before restarting. Repetition without diagnosis simply makes the same mistake faster.
Do airline pilots train entirely in simulators?
No. Airline pilots may complete much of their aircraft-specific, emergency and recurrent training in qualified full-flight simulators, but simulation does not replace every stage of operational training.
The exact balance depends on the authority, operator, approved course and pilot’s previous experience. Some pathways permit extensive type-rating training and checking in a full-flight simulator, while supervised line flying in the real aircraft develops operational judgement around live traffic, passengers, weather, time pressure and the consequences of real decisions.