On Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 7:38:01 PM UTC-5, Jeff Morgan wrote:
On Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 12:42:17 PM UTC-7, Scott Manley wrote:

The airlines fully qualify pilots in simulators, essentially reaching 100%.

A bit overstated.

After 6-8 sessions in a full motion Level D sim and the Check Ride airline pilots require 20-40 hours Initial Operating Experience in the airplane under the supervision of a Check Airman before being "finished" and signed off for line operations.

The flight footprint is often larger than the sim footprint.

And then if the new airline pilot fails to gain 100 flight hours within 90 days of the simulator check ride (IOE counts towards this), the entire training process must be repeated - FAA requirement.

===
I stand corrected. I should know better than to use 100% in any argument.
===


But most importantly, airline pilots are not primary students.

===
'Not sure why that is "most" important. Both are simply humans trying to learn something. The use of simulation is about improving human learning.
===


Understand I'm not downing your product. Sims have their place. Primary students need to actually fly and land the real aircraft too.

For clarification: Condor is not "my product". (I should probably stop using the nickname "The Condor Guy", given to me by others. I am actually the "Advocate for the use of flight simulation in glider flight training GUY"). I have no financial stake in Condor. I am a professional educator who understands the value of simulation in the human learning process. I use Condor because it is the best glider flight simulation available. When a better glider flight simulation becomes available, I will use it.

===

It has never been my position that "all" flight training, primary or otherwise, can or should be conducted in simulation, only that a very large percentage of it (approximately, IMHO, based on my 10 years of experience in simulation-based flight training, 80%) can and should be. Simulation is the superior "learning" environment. Actual flight is the superior "application of learning" environment.

===

My original reply to this post was not intended to highjack the thread and spur yet another debate over the value of simulation in human learning.

My intent was to provide clubs / commercial operations who struggle with the cost and complexity of maintaining actual aircraft for the purpose of providing flight training, what I believe to be a viable solution for their consideration.

Scott Manley 3167160CFI ---- Out!