A newly published study shows that students who use home flight simulation during their private pilot training receive their certificate with 5.5 fewer flight training hours than those who don’t.
The study of more than 1,000 certificated pilots and air traffic controllers found that pilots who use home flight simulation earn their private pilot certificates with almost 20 hours less than the FAA average, according to officials with the Flight Simulation Association, who sponsored the study.
The study also found that acting as a virtual air traffic controller for flight simulator pilots proves to be a “meaningful path” to a career with the FAA, officials noted.
“We have always known that enthusiast flight simulation impacts pilot training but have never had a way to quantify it,” said Rick Parker, an airline pilot and co-founder of NextLevel XR. “This survey is a great first step to showing there is serious benefit from complimenting aircraft training with structured or unstructured time in a home flight simulator.”
For the study, the Flight Simulation Association asked more than 1,000 pilots to report how many training hours it took to obtain their private pilot certificate. Respondents also provided background on their flight simulation habits.
Analysis then compared the amount of flight training required for those who used home flight simulation during training and those who didn’t.
Results show that users of home flight simulation saved 5.5 hours of flight training by comparison to those who didn’t.
“For years, regulators and pilots have been focused on replacing flight hours with simulator time using complex, expensive certified training devices. But these results show that non-certified devices can significantly reduce flight hours and make training more affordable,” said Mike Catalfamo, CFI and founder of Flight Sim Coach, a company helping pilots with home simulators receive one-on-one, remote training from flight instructors.
The survey also looked at the impact home flight simulation has on air traffic controllers. Officials asked 14 professional air traffic controllers, who also have experience within the home flight simulation community, to describe the impact it had on their careers. The results show that home flight simulation could be an undiscovered source of air traffic control recruitment — perhaps even training — that is likely being overlooked by regulators and civil aviation agencies, association officials said.
“The advancements in home-based simulation hardware and software have transformed a community once seen as purely hobbyist into a pipeline of motivated and focused individuals with readily accessible tools to explore and prepare for a career in aviation,” said Jon Standley, an air traffic management industry professional and graduate of the FAA’s Collegiate Training Initiative program. “The release of this survey opens a new era of collaboration between academia, civil aviation authorities, and air navigation service providers to leverage this technology and the pipeline of future workforce talent that it brings to the aviation industry.”
“It’s time for pilots and aviation authorities to recognize that enthusiast flight simulation is so much more than a game,” said Rick Miller, owner of FlyInside and supporter of Flight Simulation Association’s recent simulator showcase at SUN ‘n FUN. “You can fight, fly, and learn, custom tailored to your wants and needs. A new age of flight simulation is here.”
A summary of the study, along with the full report, can be found at FlightSimAssociation.com/Report.
The Flight Simulation Association is a free-to-join community of flight simmers, pilots, and industry developers that works to increase the profile of flight simulation. The association’s annual convention — FlightSimExpo — takes place June 21-23, 2024, in Las Vegas. The event showcases how flight simulation can be used to better prepare students for check rides and keep experienced pilots proficient between flights, association officials said.
For more information: FlightSimAssociation.com and FlightSimExpo.com