Definition
A full flight simulator certified by the FAA at the second-highest fidelity level, featuring a fully enclosed cockpit replica, a six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform, a daylight/dusk/night visual system covering at least a 75-degree field of view per pilot, and aerodynamic and systems modeling accurate enough to allow pilots to complete most type-rating training and checking without flying the actual aircraft.
Plain English
A high-end flight simulator that moves, has realistic outside views, and behaves so much like the real airplane that pilots can earn most of their training credit in it instead of in the actual aircraft.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training discussions, instructor planning, simulator approval documents, and FAA material on flight simulation training devices.
Derivation
The FAA grades full flight simulators on a four-step ladder from Level A (lowest fidelity) to Level D (highest). 'Level' here simply marks a position on that ladder; 'C' is the third rung, just below the top.
Why Pilots Care
Allows pilots to log required training hours and practice emergencies without the cost or risk of flying a real aircraft.
Intuition Check
Level C does not mean a student skill level or a course difficulty level. Here, “Level C” is an FAA qualification category that describes how realistic and capable the simulator is.
Example Sentence 1
The airline's new-hire pilots completed their Boeing 737 type-rating training in a Level C simulator before their first flight in the actual aircraft.
Example Sentence 2
After the checkride in the Level C simulator, the pilot received full credit toward his type rating.