Definition
Ground-based training equipment that reproduces aircraft systems, flight characteristics, and the operational environment to allow pilots to practice procedures and maneuvers without flying an actual aircraft. The category covers a range of devices from basic procedure trainers to full flight simulators, each approved by the FAA at a specific level that determines what training and credit it can be used for.
Plain English
Machines on the ground that act like an aircraft so pilots can train safely without leaving the hangar. Some are simple, some are very realistic, and the FAA decides what kind of training each one counts for.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor training, flight school planning, instrument training, and discussions about when simulator time can be used instead of aircraft time.
Derivation
‘Simulation’ comes from the Latin simulare, ‘to imitate.’ A flight simulation training device imitates flying. The phrase is plural because the FAA recognizes several distinct kinds of devices, not just one.
Why Pilots Care
Time logged in an approved device can count toward ratings, currency, and proficiency requirements—but only up to limits set by the device’s approval level. Knowing what a device is rated for tells the pilot what training value it actually has.
Analogy
It is like using a realistic practice cockpit before doing the same work in the real airplane. The practice is not the flight itself, but it can prepare the pilot for the real flight.
Grounding Statement
A pilot can sit on the ground, move the controls, read the instruments, and practice decisions as if a flight were happening.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “simulation” means a casual video game. In this FAA training context, it means a training device used for specific pilot learning tasks, and sometimes accepted for official training credit.
Example Sentence 1
The school uses flight simulation training devices for instrument procedure practice before students fly the same approaches in the aircraft.
Example Sentence 2
Flight Simulation Training Devices allow repeated rehearsal of instrument procedures before flying them in the aircraft.