A flight simulator is a system that tries to copy or simulate the experience of flying an aircraft. It is intended to be as realistic as possible. The different types of flight simulator range of computer games to their full size cockpit replicas mounted on hydraulic (or electromechanical) actuators, controlled by the state of the art computer technology.
A number of electromechanical devices were tried during the First World War and beyond. The best known was the Link Trainer was invented by Edwin Link in Binghamton, New York and released in 1929. This led to a motion platform driven by bellows giving way tires, roll and yaw, which is mounted a replica generic cockpit. That was designed to teach the instrument (cloud) flying in safer and less expensive than outside air. The U.S. Army, Air Force purchased four Link Trainers in 1934 after a series of fatal accidents in instrument flight and flight simulation industry worldwide is born.
Various categories of flight simulators and flight training devices are used for pilot training. These range from relatively simple part-task trainer (PTT), which includes one or more aircraft systems in the cockpit procedures trainer (CPT) for practice exercises and tests to full flight simulators (FFS). The highest levels of Full Flight Simulators have motion platforms capable of moving in six degrees of freedom. They also have wide-angle high-fidelity visual systems to show the outside world for pilots in training. Most simulators have Instructor Workstations (IOS). In IOS, an instructor can quickly create a normal and abnormal in the simulated environment simulated plane or outside. This can range from engine fires, malfunctioning landing gear, electrical faults, storms, raves, the rays arriving aircraft, slippery runways, navigational system failures and countless other problems. Flight simulators are an essential element for single-pilot and flight crew training. Save time, money and human lives.