| It was not all that long ago that flight simulators were | | | | interact with as you pilot the simulator aircraft. |
| primitive, overly simplistic, and scaled down versions of | | | | There is no doubt that today's modern Cessna 172 |
| real life aircraft cockpits. | | | | simulator software is as true to life, as is technologically |
| Today, on the other hand, as computer software | | | | possible, to flying its real world counterpart. |
| technology has evolved over the past several | | | | But the question that still remains is: How effective as |
| decades, flight simulator programs have grown to | | | | a training tool can a Cessna 172 simulator be if you are |
| become so sophisticated, detailed, and complex, that | | | | intent upon learning how to fly one of these models of |
| practically every aspect of aircraft design, control, and | | | | aircraft? |
| behavior has been replicated down to the minutest | | | | Every attempt has been made to make the flight |
| detail. | | | | experience of a simulator to be as realistic as possible. |
| Let's take, for example, a Cessna 172 simulator, which | | | | Aircraft control, meteorology, and aerodynamics all |
| is a basic trainer single engine aircraft. The way in | | | | play a role in the programming of the simulator to add |
| which a Cessna simulator is programmed, every knob, | | | | to the realism. |
| every dial, every button, every lever, and every | | | | The experience of flying a simulator is so authentic |
| instrument, are all replicated off of the real aircraft's | | | | and true-to-life that it provides a seamless transition |
| corresponding component, and are available for you to | | | | from flying the simulator to flying real aircraft. |