| Because the FAA allows you to optionally log up to 20 | | | | the aircraft's real-world counterpart. |
| hours of instructor led time in an IFR simulator, in lieu of | | | | - The virtual aircraft's responsiveness to control inputs |
| logging flight time in an actual aircraft) as credit toward | | | | and external forces such as the weather are designed |
| your Instrument Rating, it would be foolish to squander | | | | to mimic the behavior of its real-world counterpart. |
| the opportunity to leverage the simulator to your | | | | IFR Simulator Limitations |
| advantage. | | | | - Despite the realism of a simulator for IFR training, you |
| Can A Simulator Save You Money? | | | | do not get to practice overcoming the misleading |
| - Using a simulator yields enormous cost savings in | | | | sensations of motion that can lead to spatial |
| terms of aircraft rental fees. | | | | disorientation, which you must learn to ignore in favor |
| - You aren't paying for fuel. | | | | of trusting your instruments. |
| - You aren't putting wear and tear on the aircraft. | | | | - The FAA only restricts you to 20 hours of IFR |
| - Any time you spend "solo" flying the simulator, you do | | | | simulator time that can count toward your Instrument |
| not have to pay for an instructor either. | | | | Rating. (You can always train more but only 20 hours |
| How Realistic Is The IFR Experience In A Simulator? | | | | will count toward your rating.) That means you still |
| - Because modern simulator programs are so realistic, | | | | must spend a good portion of your instrument training |
| there is practically no difference between using a | | | | time in a real aircraft. |
| simulator and flying an aircraft while using a view | | | | But it would be foolish for you to not take advantage |
| limiting device. | | | | of an IFR simulator. |
| - The instrument panel is identical in every respect to | | | | |