Instrument training - simulators

[TFulwider]

Since the FAA will let you use certified desktop simulators to count up to 20 hours of flight time it seems like buying a low end sim for personal use would make sense. If you could buy one used and then sell it to another student later you could get some pretty cheap flight time. Or am I missing something?

 

[Clark1961]

Since the FAA will let you use certified desktop simulators to count up to 20 hours of flight time it seems like buying a low end sim for personal use would make sense. If you could buy one used and then sell it to another student later you could get some pretty cheap flight time. Or am I missing something?

The sim time has to be supervised by a CFII to count toward the rating requirements. So yes it's cheaper than driving a plane around but still going to cost training $$$.

 

[AggieMike88]

+1 one to what Clark said. Slight modification is that you can still use the sim for practicing something.

But, like Clark said, unless the CFII is there, you cannot count it toward any required experience.

 

[labbadabba]

Since the FAA will let you use certified desktop simulators to count up to 20 hours of flight time it seems like buying a low end sim for personal use would make sense. If you could buy one used and then sell it to another student later you could get some pretty cheap flight time. Or am I missing something?

And you wouldn't be able to log it as flight time. Sim time on a Redbird or something similar won't count towards total time. The 2.5 hours you can log as a student will count towards the 40 hours needed for your PPL but not total time.

Now, if you want to build a decent sim for your own practicing at home, that's a separate issue.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Unless you can do a group share/buy, use a simulator only if you get stalled out at some point or some task/skill in actual flying that would benefit from being able to freeze the situation on screen and give time for your CFI and you to sort things out. Chances are you’ll need very little if any simulator so paying for just the minutes you actually may need is usually the least expensive.

 

[bobmrg]

+1 one to what Clark said. Slight modification is that you can still use the sim for practicing something.

But, like Clark said, unless the CFII is there, you cannot count it toward any required experience.

That is changing in December, when sim use for currency w/o instructor will become golden. Still needed to count toward a certificate, however.

Bob

 

[BrianNC]

That is changing in December, when sim use for currency w/o instructor will become golden. Still needed to count toward a certificate, however.

Bob

Got any more info on that or a link?

 

[TFulwider]

And you wouldn't be able to log it as flight time. Sim time on a Redbird or something similar won't count towards total time. The 2.5 hours you can log as a student will count towards the 40 hours needed for your PPL but not total time.

Now, if you want to build a decent sim for your own practicing at home, that's a separate issue.

I should've mentioned in my post that I have my PPL and am working towards my instrument. I have a CFI willing to do sim work with me. From what I understand you can count up to 20 hours of sim time towards the rating. Is that wrong?

 

[Clark1961]

I should've mentioned in my post that I have my PPL and am working towards my instrument. I have a CFI willing to do sim work with me. From what I understand you can count up to 20 hours of sim time towards the rating. Is that wrong?

20 hours in an advanced aviation training device or 10 hours in a basic aviation training device.

 

[bobmrg]

Got any more info on that or a link?

https://bruceair.wordpress.com/2017/11/05/new-simulation-and-training-rules-due-in-december-2017/

Bob

 

[labbadabba]

I should've mentioned in my post that I have my PPL and am working towards my instrument. I have a CFI willing to do sim work with me. From what I understand you can count up to 20 hours of sim time towards the rating. Is that wrong?

It will count towards your rating as simulated instrument time but will not be added as a total time. If you're paying big bucks for an approved sim, I'd want to get more than just the simulated hours that wouldn't go towards flight times. Full disclosure, I did a fair bit of sim time on my way to getting my IR.