Most of us computer geeks are well aware that there isn’t much we can’t learn and do with these amazing machines. However, one area that is not widely recognized is the ability to be able to use a flight simulator from the comfort of your own home.
Many people will spend hours playing games that involve flight simulators, but the question arises that if you decide to become a pilot, would this game benefit you in your learning? As technology advances, so do these computer flight simulators. They are made to be as authentic as possible. Actually, flight schools use simulators as part of their training but their software is different than what we are talking about here.
Most of the pilots are of the opinion that these flight simulator games will not help them in their actual training. In fact, some of them feel that you develop bad habits from them. After all, if you make a mistake in the simulator, you just start over. You may not get that opportunity in the air. So maybe they build a false sense of security.
Most likely, there have not been any controlled studies on this topic, so there is no way to test either theory. Perhaps in this case it would be wise to use the simulators, since they are designed for games and entertainment. Keeping them in their correct perspective will probably not be detrimental to your flight studies and your advancement in proper techniques.
These simulators can be beneficial during your ground training to help with your teaching materials. Being able to see something that is often referred to is better than having to imagine it. A word of warning though, flight simulators can get addictive. People seem to spend hours at a time in them. You don’t want them to outpace your studies of books and materials, so turn accordingly if you’ve decided to use one.
Another way to perhaps get an idea of how effective these computer flight simulators are is to do a comparison with the software used in flight schools. Those obtained from the Schools are obviously well accepted, as the hours spent on them can be entered into your record book. Compare the two and see what the differences are. You can find the answers to any questions you have about what harm computer simulators could create.
However, one thing that has been noticed is that using a computer flight simulator may not make you a better pilot, but being a pilot does make you a superior flight simulator operator. In any case, once he’s become a pilot, if he doesn’t get the opportunity to fly as much as he wants, a computer flight simulator will go a long way toward maintaining his interests. The bottom line is to try to determine the answer for you. Maybe you could discuss it with your school. You could even approach the FAA and see what their views are. If they disapprove of computer flight simulators, perhaps they’ll explain why.