Why Add a Simulator to Your Flight School?
Flight simulators have evolved greatly over the years, and advances in both hardware and software will continue to enhance the reality of simulated flight so that pilots, both new and experienced, have a safer method of training. Here are some reasons why you should have one or more in your flight school.
Simulators in flight schools are marketing magnets. They just look cool, and portray a level of modern sophistication in your flight school.
Simulators DO NOT TAKE AWAY FROM AIRPLANE RENTAL HOURS. Release this myth. An astounding 80% of pilots drop out of flight instruction. Simulators help in quality instruction and in student retention. Simulators attract more pilots to your school. More volume and more retention keep your aiplanes flying.
A new student should spend the first five hours of flight in the simulator prior to flying the real airplane. This is not a question of loggable hours, rather not overloading a new student in those critical first few hours.
Airplanes and flight time are expensive. Simulators take students up the mental learning curve on the ground so that time in the airplane is more productive time.
The entire world is simulated and a pilot can essentially go anywhere they want, and they can fly in whatever weather they choose. Flying should be fun. If you are not scheduling a few mission impossible, or scenic, or otherwise fun type of simulator flights in the overall lesson plan, the student is missing out.
Multiple airplane types can be flown.
An instructor station allows training personnel to create every conceivable condition whether it be inside the cockpit or environmental. Instructors use the integrated software to help grade pilot's performance and monitor and interpret every aspect of the session simultaneously.
The instructor then has the ability to review the flight, and if need be return to a portion of the flight to reinforce any weak areas that there may be.
There is a PAUSE BUTTON. Sometimes a flight is not going well and the instructor just needs to pause the simulation and allow the student to reorient themselves as to what is going on.
One of the largest breakthroughs in this technology is the fact that failures can be simulated. Pilots can experience things like loss of an engine, radios, and wind shear without ever leaving the ground. All of this without getting air sick.
SAFETY in training. All the above can be done on the ground.
Train during inclement weather days. Don't cancel training flights, move them to the simulator. The student was planning on a flight instruction experience, the instructor was planning on a paid instructional lesson, the school was planning on equipment rental. Don't cancel, adjust. Hold that lesson in the simulator.
Students progress. Instructors get paid. The flight school makes money. Makes you question why only have one simulator?
Instructors want to build flight time and they may unknowingly sabotage use of the flight simulator. However, instructors also want a paycheck. Structure your training syllabus so that the student receives X hours of simulator training in their training course. Make sure instructors know and agree that simulator time is an included part of the training program. Keep that simulator flying it may be your most profitable, low risk asset.