Do home flght sims count toward commercial?
 

Hi All,

Just joined this forum. Has been my experience so far that pilots are a community who look out for an help each other, which I think is awesome.

My 17 y.o. son is taking his check-ride/ earning his PPL this month. He wants to be a commercial pilot for a career. Applying for a flight program at universities to start next year.

I notice the FAA changed it's regulations to allow up to 50 hours toward the 250 needed for a commercial license and I think 100 hours toward the 1000 needed for a restricted ATP license l in a Full Type D flight simulator. Are there any simulators one can purchase that, while maybe hokey and maybe PC based, technically can be used for these hours?

I see some Type D simulators cost millions, and yet I'm just wondering if there is a version that qualifies that "counts" toward these goals that might be PC based or cheaper. He has a wet rate of about 100.00 to fly now- only pays for fuel. I'm on a bit of a mission to avoid spending 70k to get to 250 hours like the colleges he is looking for estimate! So if there is such a thing as a 3000.00 simulator that counts to use for 100 hours, we'd jump on it. I'm doubtful there is but figured I would please ask.

Apologies that I'm showing my lack of knowledge here, but if you have any recommendations, please let me know. All feedback welcome.

Thanks,
Hermie

These are the ones that most flight schools tend to use (or at least the ones I've seen at my local flight schools here in So Cal):

https://simulators.redbirdflight.com/products/td

https://simulators.redbirdflight.com/products/td2

https://simulators.redbirdflight.com/certification/faa

They are not super expensive, but at the same time most flight schools charge about $40/hr to use theirs; therefore, I doubt it's worth the investment. Hopefully, someone that has more experience with simulators can chime in.

Here’s the problem with flight simulators.
You need instruction for it to be of any value.
Just doing a Microsoft Flight simulator flight from over here to over yonder has no value.
A simulator is meant to train and hone your skills under guidance flying specific lessons towards a specific goal.
As such training devices need to be approved by the FAA.
The manufacturers will generally take care of that.
A flight school needs to have it approved for use in a particular curriculum for specific lessons.
So approved syllabus approved simulation device in order for it to be eligible to count towards a certificate or rating.

Hermie,

A student pilot who uses Microsoft FlightSim is going to end up learning some very bad habits. The student pilot will then have to unlearn these bad habits, which is very difficult. Feel free to ask for specifics.

Depends.

I actually have used MS Flight sim during training, but only to practice and re-inforce *instrument* scans and procedures. If you learn it correctly, from an instructor, then it is possible to get net positive value out of PRACTICING what you learned at home.

But don't try to teach yourself, and don't try to practice visual maneuvers (including landing) on a home PC.

And make sure it's configured as closely as possible to your training aircraft. You have plenty of options for that.

But that doesn't answer the original question about logging cheap hours. Probably the cheapest way to do that is going to be using the PC device at the school/FBO, following the instructor's guidance.

As mentioned, you do have to use an approved device under supervision of a flight instructor. Can't just be FSX at home by yourself.

Can still be cost effective, but not free.

To log it, yes, Need instructor involved.

But just for practice (not logged) you can do it home.

Yep. (and I need 10 characters)

That’s what I did, I qualified under Part 61 for my commercial with 200TT and 50sim. But, just like everyone else has said, it MUST be in an FAA approved simulator, and it must be instruction