Title: The effect of personal flight simulators in the training of a modern day aviator
Authors: Leonard Selvaraja Fernando
Year: 2020
Organization: Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies, Chennai, India
Type: Research Paper
Status: Published

ABSTRACT
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This paper investigates the role and effectiveness of personal flight simulators in supplementing formal training for modern aviators. With the rising cost of flight training and the increasing sophistication of consumer-grade simulation technology, a growing number of student pilots are turning to personal simulators as a complementary training tool. Through a mixed-methods approach involving 150 survey responses from commercial pilot license holders and 15 in-depth interviews with flight instructors, this study evaluates the transferability of skills acquired in personal simulation environments to actual aircraft operations. Results indicate significant benefits in procedural knowledge, instrument scan proficiency, and emergency procedure familiarization, with 74.7% of respondents reporting positive impact. However, the study also identifies potential negative transfer effects in psychomotor skills and spatial awareness. The paper concludes with guidelines for integrating personal simulation effectively within structured training curricula.