How Much Should You Pay for That Box?

Abstract

Some claimed cost, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness advantages of aircraft simulators for training are equivocal. Effectiveness of simulator training depends mostly upon the training procedures. Other factors alleged to influence the effectiveness of simulators vary in their demonstrated importance. These are considered in the contexts of physical simulation vs. psychological simulation, simulator fidelity and motivation, and pilot acceptance. One of the more costly areas of engineering development to increase fidelity of physical simulation is motion systems. No experimental evidence is available to show that simulator motion enhances transfer of training. Cost effectiveness has not been demonstrated for many interesting and attractive features that are standard trimmings on flight training simulators. The acquisition of simulators costing several times as much to own and operate as their counterpart airplanes may produce a backlash that will set back the desirable use of cost-effective simulators in reasonable research and training programs.