Most of us has a chance to experience the amazing adventure of some kind of aircraft simulators. For some, it was just a computer program on their PC, and for some it was the whole experience in a real simulator, with high quality rendered views.
• Why do we need an aircraft simulator:
There are two main reasons. The first reason is that we need to train the pilots, and nothing is more important than experience. Any hour of flight experience counts for a pilot. This is obvious, but the flying is not a cheap thing. Keeping aircraft on shape, the gas needed for each flight, and more than that the risk of the flights make them very experience. You may ask that they say flying is the safest main for transportation. Yes, it may be true, but the training flights are different. The domestic and commercial flights are carried on by the experienced pilots. In the training flights, there is always a risk.
The second reason is that we want to enjoy flying as a game or hubby on our computers. There are many simulator games there, and aircraft simulators are a class of them.
• How far are the aircraft simulators from real experience:
In high-tech simulators, pilots experience something very close to the reality. The engine, controls, even the weather are simulated as close as possible to the reality. The random possible events appear in front of the pilots. The views on the windows are stoning real. Even the cabin moves to make the experience more interesting. What else should a pilot ask for?
• What is missing:
1) Pilots know that it is not real: Sometimes, when I play games, I will go so deep in the game that I forget about the real life around me. It should be the same for a pilot in an aircraft simulator. He should disconnect from the world and believe in the simulation world. But, it takes time. At least a few hours are needed for a person to adjust to the new mental environment. In the simulators, the pilots start as soon as they enter the cabin. This make a dual consciousness, and reduces the quality of the training.
2) There is no risk: In a real flight, if the pilot make a mistake, the payback is a lot. It will cost the whole plane, the crew, and all passengers. The responsibility is at its peak for the pilot. But, in the simulator, even hitting a mountain is nothing to loose. It is just one "life" in the game. You see my point. It means that ten hours training in the simulator may counts just one hour of real flight training.
3) Physical parameters: The simulators are almost real, but actually they are on the ground, I mean around the sea level. In a real flight, aircrafts are very high in the sky, 10000 meters up in the air. The gravity and many other physical parameters will be different at that height comparing to the sea level. It should have an impact on the training.
That's it.