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Airline pilots now train in sims due to the cost of flying
giant aluminum clouds. My local FBO has a Motus Motion Sim, but it doesn't have
any Lancairs in its repertoire. But for a 172, it's $100 per hour cheaper, and
it's tougher than the real thing. If you're proficient in it, you're
ready.
Translate to home.
When I was taking my IFR training, I was flying club
172's. At the same time, I was flying IFT-PRO (tells you how long back) at home.
My instructor was amazed at my progress. I passed on the first ride after a
near-minimum hours training sequence. This tells me that home sims (now a LOT
better than IFT-PRO) can take us a long way to maintaining proficiency, even if
they're not loggable hours.
If Lancair was to prepare a faithful aerodynamic model of
its aircraft for MSFS or X-Plane, they could release it through a proxy. It
could even be a bit unforgiving around the stall. We could crash a few times at
home while learning a lot. We could even fly into Pitkin County in low weather.
The company could disavow any knowledge while providing us with a valuable
training aid.
Are you listening, Joe?
Ted Noel
N540TF
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