Introduction to Flight Simulation

Short course/CPD

Introduction to Flight Simulation

(in conjunction with the Royal Aeronautical Society)

Course date: Please enquire

Course overview

Flight simulation plays a major role in modern aviation from initial aircraft design through development, build, and production and then in training aircrew and ground crew to fly and maintain the aircraft. The qualities of the higher levels of flight simulators for training, using realistic crew stations and controls, and with sophisticated modelling and cueing, are such that already-experienced airline pilots convert to new aircraft types solely through simulator training, the so-called "Zero Flight Time" system that has been in use worldwide since 1982. In the civil world, the term "Full Flight Simulator" is used for these devices; the military equivalent being the Full Mission Simulator with the addition of simulation of weapons, air refuelling and other military features.

Location

Cranfield University is located at the very heart of the UK – within the innovation triangle between London and the cities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Our central location provides easy access from the M1, excellent main line rail service as well as proximity to key international airports. Set in rolling countryside, Cranfield offers a rich, rural landscape complemented by thriving towns and picturesque villages.

Road: We are just 10 minutes from Junctions 13 & 14 of the M1 motorway. There is free parking on campus.
Rail: Milton Keynes or Bedford
Air: London Luton (22 miles), Heathrow (50 miles) or Birmingham (70 miles).

View our location maps.

Course fee:

£2295

Accommodation fee:

£435

CPD/Short Course Accommodation (Residential)

How to register

Further information

For more information on this course or booking details please contact:
Academic Operations Unit
T: + 44 (0) 1234 754192
E: shortcourse@cranfield.ac.uk

Course Booking Conditions

Course description

Who should attend

The course is suitable for people from a range of backgrounds working (or planning to work) in the simulator industry, for members of national aviation authorities responsible for the effective use of simulators, for managers of simulator facilities and other operational staff, for those involved in simulator procurement in government agencies or in aviation organisations, and for anyone seeking an overview of modern flight simulation. While introducing the key technologies, the course does not deal in detail with the technical methods.

The number of participants will be limited to ensure beneficial interaction between participants and speakers. The course combines presentations and practical hands-on experience through case studies and workshops.

Objectives

This introductory course, fully international in scope, aims

to provide a structured and compact introduction to modern flight simulation technology
to describe the application of flight simulators in civil and military training
to address non-technical aspects of flight simulation, including regulatory requirements and standards, financing and management

Topics

Technology topics:

flight modelling and data requirements
ground handling
avionic systems modelling
motion systems and visual systems
environmental representation including airport and terrain database generation
the special demands of rotary wing simulation
accident investigation using simulation

Human factors topics:

human visual and motion perception and how visual, motion and sound cues are generated and presented
instructor operating station design

Application topics:

certification, regulation and standards in civil and military aviation
part-task trainers
the economics of simulator procurement and operation and financing methods
specific issues in military simulator procurement and defence simulation applications, including simulation interoperability

The speakers

The lectures are presented by academic staff of the School of Engineering at Cranfield University; members of the Flight Simulation Group, Royal Aeronautical Society; and practising specialists from organisations within the flight simulation industry, including:

Alteon (Boeing)
British Airways
CAE Electronics Ltd
Thales Training and Simulation
UK Civil Aviation Authority
UK Ministry of Defence

School of Engineering at Cranfield University- simulation facilities

Most high level flight simulators are used to train pilots and therefore model a specific aircraft type very accurately. In contrast, an engineering research flight simulator needs to be both generic and reconfigurable to provide for different aircraft types and associated systems. To support its engineering research flight simulation activities, the School of Engineering employs the following real-time simulation and visualisation equipment:

real-time aircraft simulation using dynamic models in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. This uses a desk-top commercial product called "Air-Vehicle Simulation and Visualisation Environment" (AV-SAVE)
real-time part-task pilot training using the Aerosoft Flight Simulator (AFS) for the General Aviation class of aircraft
piloted simulation trials over the full aircraft flight envelope using a two-seat, large civil transport aircraft flight deck, the Cranfield Large Flight Simulator (LFS), a reconfigurable engineering research flight simulator