CHANGES TO FLIGHT SIMULATOR TRAINING DEVICE QUALIFICATION REGULATIONS AND THEIRIMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY - A SIMULATOR MANUFACTURER'S PERSPECTIVE

摘要

The Flight Simulation industry is continuouslyevolving while it continues to grow. The rate at whichnew devices enter the marketplace currentlyexceeds the rate at which older devices fade away.Some of the earliest digital devices are still in usehaving undergone technology updates to deal withobsolescence. At the other end of the scale, aircraftare being built employing the latest technologicaladvances and current simulators must reflect this.More and more aircraft systems are being managedby electronic means, which has led to changes intraining focus, forcing regulations to adapt to thesechanges. At the same time whilst moving forward,considerable care has to be taken to ensure thatolder simulation devices are not excluded fromproviding training for which they are still suitable.The Flight Simulator manufacturer faces challengeswithin the industry to provide devices to meet bothcustomer expectation and qualification requirementswithin this changing environment. Commercialdemands often dictate the need to update olderdevices with changes to data or avionics or simply tocombat obsolescence. This means that currentlythere are several generations of device in operation,which have been qualified to differing standards,retaining qualification status through grandfatherrights. The regulator faces the unenviable task ofinitial evaluations to the latest standards on top ofthe ever-increasing recurrent evaluations to manyolder standards.This paper presents the challenges faced by theFlight Simulator manufacturer as a result of changesto the qualification regulations. The paper provides aview of the market place, the devices that are inservice and the regulations associated with thosedevices. It looks at the stability of the regulations, thefrequency of changes to the regulations and thereasons for change. It also looks at some of theproblems that changes have introduced.The Flight Simulator manufacturer prepares thedevice for qualification, but must also provide thetools and testing methodologies for development,customer acceptance, qualification and maintenancethroughout its operational life. The simulator build lifecycle is examined to assess the impact of regulatorychanges on various stages of the build cycle, withparticular emphasis on requirements, the provisionof data or models, the development of appropriatetools, testing and the qualification process.New technology and training requirementssometimes lead to new approaches and generatemany questions. The paper looks at the relationshipbetween qualification and accreditation, some of theburning regulatory issues that are still to beaddressed, such as changes to the categorisation ofdevices and grandfather rights. It also looks at someof the technical aspects regarding new approachesto building devices, testing, new requirements andprovision of tools to assist with the training task. Theindustry is currently undergoing significant regulatorychange, both technically and politically. Where dowe want this to take us?