Flight Simulator Types

A simulation is an imitation of some real thing, state of affairs, or process.

Simulation is often used in the training of civilian and military personnel. This usually occurs when it is prohibitively expensive or simply too dangerous to allow trainees to use the real equipment in the real world. In such situations they will spend time learning valuable lessons in a safe virtual environment also permitting mistakes during training for a safety-critical system.

Training simulations typically come in one of three categories:

1. Live simulation: Where real people use simulated or dummy equipment in the real world.
2. Virtual simulation: Where real people use simulated equipment in a simulated world or virtual environment.
3. Constructive simulation: Where simulated people use simulated equipment in a simulated environment.

Mentioned below are the various simulators available for all industry verticals:

• Medical Simulators
• City Simulators/Urban Simulators
• Flight Simulators
• Home-built Flight Simulators
• Simulation and Games
• Engineering Simulation/Process Simulation
• Computer Simulation
• Simulation in Computer Science
• Simulation in Education

Flight Simulators:

Using simulators, pilots can be trained for situations that they are unable to safely do in actual aircraft. These situations include loss of flight surfaces and complete power loss. Today’s aircraft are complex computer-based devices and in order to operate them efficiently, pilots must possess a high level of technical as well as piloting skills.

System trainers are used to teach pilots how to properly operate various aircraft systems. They are not normally used for flight training or emergency procedure training. These fixed base devices are exact replicas of the aircraft and are used to train flight crews in normal and emergency procedures. They also duplicate the atmospheric environment in which the aircraft will fly, simulating wind, temperature and turbulence. These simulators also mimic the various sounds produced by the aircraft such as engine, landing gear and other sounds. Some may also be equipped with visual systems. However, they are not equipped with systems that simulate aircraft motions.

A full motion simulator (also known as a full-flight simulator) will duplicate all aspects of the aircraft and its environment, including basic motions of the aircraft. These types of simulators can generate momentary jolts so that the occupants in the simulator must wear seat belts as they do in the real aircraft. As the motion of any simulator is far more restricted than that of a real aircraft, the motion system does not mimic the motion and attitude of the aircraft. Instead, it gives motion cues to the pilot, trying to deceive his senses and to make the pilot feel like he is flying. In order to do that properly, knowledge of the human sense organs, particularly of the vestibular system, is extensively employed. This makes flight simulation a very knowledge intensive area.