The Edmonton Flight College's newest flight simulator is a Modular Flight Deck manufactured by Precision Flight Controls of Sacramento, California. It is a state of the art simulator and the first of its kind certified in Western Canada. Using an accurate world-wide database and a specially engineered version of "X-Plane", it has tremendous flexibility and potential and can be used to fly anywhere in the world.
The MFD simulator can simulate approximately 20 different types of aircraft from basic fixed pitch single engine piston (eg: C-172) all the way through to complex multi-turbine aircraft such a Beech King Air or Beech 1900.
The simulator uses three 61-inch flat screen TV's that surround the cockpit to give a very realistic representation of what the pilot sees when they look out of the cockpit windows. The software allows us to generate virtually any type of weather condition and to fly at any time of day or night and on any date of the year.
The visual system gives us the ability to simulate many different flights, both VFR and IFR. Students can now do more in this simulator than ever before, such as flying a VFR circuit, circling to land from an instrument approach, breaking out of cloud at precision minimums and continuing a straight in landing, conducting VFR navigation, etc. The list of possibilities goes on and on.
Dual cockpit controls enable two-crew training including Cockpit Resource Management.
The hands on avionics stack includes a real Garmin 430 GPS/NAV/COM, as well as a 2nd NAV/COM, an ADF, a Mode C transponder, and an autopilot.
Interchangeable throttle quadrants give an accurate representation of the hands-on controls related to different types of aircraft.
Hands-on cockpit controls include the control column, rudders with working toe brakes, interchangeable throttle quadrants, manual and electric elevator trim, aileron and rudder trim, ignition and starter switches, alternator switches, battery and avionics master switches, exterior and interior lighting controls, working instrument panel knobs including altimeter setting, heading bug, course bar, OBS, RMI, radar altimeter, DME displays, working avionics stack, altitude pre-select, landing gear control, fuel pumps, pitot heat, cowl flaps, wing flaps, parking brake control, fuel selector valves, a working hobbs meter, and two working digital clocks/timers.
The exterior visuals can also be configured in "chase plane" mode and any segment of a flight can be replayed for subsequent study.
Stop by the club today to see this remarkable piece of equipment in action!
