JohnBurke

You know your son best. I have several children; some were ready to learn to drive when the arrived at that age, others not. Each was unique.

I've taught teens to fly, and I began flying when I was fifteen. I soloed when I was sixteen, did my private at seventeen, commericl at eighteen, and began flying commercially at eighteen. I'm not a spring chicken any more, and have been doing this my teen and entire adult life. In the early years, there were a number of times that passengers or clients asked to see my drivers license for an age check (sadly, no one ever asks now...).

There was no computer simulation when I was learning to fly. I think there's merit in the use of computer games (microsoft pesonal computer uses aren't simulators; they're games), but not to learn to fly. They can be used to reinforce lessons after the fact, but can cause bad habits and false learning to be carried into a lesson if used improperly. Take the lesson, learn a move, maneuver, or technique, then repeat it on the "simulation." Don't try to learn something on the home computer, then bring it to the cockpit.

Simulation is a very well recognized part of training, particularly in advanced aircraft where cost and capability limit what can really be done in the airplane. There's a big difference between a real simulator, which does simulate every aspect of the aircraft from sounds to actual instruments and cockpit to visuals to motion...and a computer game which uses cartoon graphics to make a two dimensional picture on a laptop screen.

A very simple tool for capitalizing on flight instruction is to sit in a chair after the lesson, or in the cockpit of the airplane on the ramp, and close one's eyes, and visualize everything that has been done. Repeat it, over and over. I used to have students come to the airport and sit in the airplane, grasp the controls, and "fly" in their mind. If they couldn't come to the airport, sit in a rocking chair and do it, put something in their hand to replicate the control, and visualize. A laptop game or "simulation" can have a similar effect of enhancing what's been learned and transferring the understanding and learning from the actual airplane.

Teens tend to suffer from judgement issues; they lack it, and it's up to the adult supervision to watch very closely to ensure that they're taught and exercising adequate judgement and restraint in their flying. There's no reason why a teenager can't fly, and youth isn't a barrier to flight. Know the student, know the student's habits and limitations, and work closely with those to help the student say safe, enthused, and to progress.