Definition
A ground-based training device that replicates a specific aircraft type with a fully enclosed cockpit, working flight controls and instruments, a visual system showing the outside world, and a motion platform that produces the physical cues of flight. It is qualified by the FAA to specific levels (A through D) under 14 CFR Part 60, with higher levels permitting more of a pilot's training, checking, and currency to be completed in the device instead of the actual aircraft.
Plain English
A high-end flight training machine that looks, feels, and moves like a real cockpit so closely that the FAA allows certain training and checkrides to be done in it instead of in the airplane.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of flight training devices, airline training, type ratings, and simulator-based practice for procedures or emergencies.
Derivation
"Full" here means the device is complete in all the ways that matter for training: full cockpit, full controls, full visuals, and full motion. It is contrasted with simpler devices (flight training devices, aviation training devices) that lack one or more of these elements.
Why Pilots Care
It lets pilots safely rehearse emergencies, instrument approaches, and system failures that would be risky or impossible to practice in an actual aircraft.
Intuition Check
Do not read “full” as meaning any home or desktop simulator with all the controls. In this context, it means an FAA-qualified device built to reproduce a specific aircraft closely enough for approved training or checking.
Example Sentence 1
Before flying the actual jet, the new first officer completed her type rating in a Level D full flight simulator.
Example Sentence 2
Only a full flight simulator with motion and visual systems meets the requirements for certain airline recurrent training events.