Definition
The formal FAA process by which a flight simulator, flight training device (FTD), or aviation training device (ATD) is evaluated, qualified, and authorized for use in pilot training, checking, and the logging of flight experience toward certificates and ratings. Approval is granted under specific regulatory provisions (such as 14 CFR Part 60 for full flight simulators and FTDs, and Letters of Authorization issued by the FAA for Basic and Advanced ATDs), and it defines exactly which training tasks, hours, and experience credits a given device may be used for.
Plain English
Before a flight simulator or training device can count toward a pilot's required training or flight time, the FAA must inspect it, approve it, and state in writing what it can be used for. The approval document tells instructors and students which lessons and which logged hours the device qualifies for.
Context Anchor
Seen when an instructor or pilot is deciding whether time in an aviation training device may be logged or credited toward a required training task or pilot requirement.
Why Pilots Care
Determines how much of a pilot’s required training can be completed in a device instead of an aircraft, directly affecting cost, scheduling, and progress toward certification.
Analogy
It is like using an approved practice facility for a required course: the practice may be valuable anywhere, but it only counts toward the requirement if the authority in charge says that facility and activity qualify.
Intuition Check
Do not assume that any realistic training device automatically counts. In this context, “approval” means the FAA has authorized that device and its allowed uses, and “experience” means time that may count toward specific pilot requirements.
Example Sentence 1
The flight school checked the FAA approval for their Advanced ATD to confirm how many instrument hours a student could log toward the instrument rating.
Example Sentence 2
Without FAA Approval of Aviation Training Devices and Their Use for Training and Experience, simulator sessions cannot be applied toward the commercial pilot certificate requirements.