Flight Simulation
What is flight simulation?
Flight simulation, or "flight sim" for short, is a way for pilots to fly an airplane without having to leave the ground. Pilots sit in a simulator that looks just like the cockpit of a real airplane. As the pilot moves the control stick, the entire simulator moves up, down, and around and the computer-generated scenery outside the windows changes, giving the pilot the feeling that he or she is actually flying. Flight sim is not just used during airplane design. New airline, combat, and even space shuttle pilots get trained in flight simluators before they fly the real thing.
How does flight simulation work?
Pilot in flight simulatorBecause it stays on the ground the whole time, the simulator has to provide different cues or signals to the pilot to make the experience as authentic as possible. To make the computer-generated scenes look even more real, several screens are placed end-to-end all around the simulator so that everywhere the pilot looks, he or she sees the sky above or the terrain below. To accompany these sights, the pilot hears simulated sounds like the wind blowing by, or the flaps, engines, or landing gear at the appropriate times. Sometimes the pilots wear special suits so that they can feel different pressures on their bodies as they "fly" at different altitudes.
What can engineers learn from flight simulation?
Engineers can learn about how easy and safe it is for a pilot to control a certain airplane. Simulators can also reproduce bad weather, emergency situations, or other procedures to see how pilots react. Using the information that comes from flight simulation, engineers can make additional adjustments before going on to building an actual airplane for research flights.