Originally Posted by
ClarenceOver
Towards the rating it counts. You could do your CHECKRIDE in the sim if you wanted to. Yes you read that right. However no designee would ever agree to doing it that way.
Technically the Red Bird is an FTD, not a sim. You can complete SOME of the Instrument Check Ride in it, certain portions would still have to be competed in an aircraft. To log the time, the FTD also has to have an N-number, otherwise it's not approved.