As someone that works for a sim manufacturer that has developed and qualified all levels of sims (fixed wing and helicopter) using data packages by OEMs, 3rd party vendors, and in-house collected packages... if better sims are wanted, then here's what's needed:
- Easy access to the actual aircraft for initial data collection, fact finding, and comparisons against sim behavior. You might be surprised to learn that the OEMs themselves don't always have this luxury.
- A competent subject matter expert (SME) that is detail oriented, articulate, and understands the limits of their own knowledge. I think any pilot that has acted as a SME has been surprised by how humbling an experience it can be.
- Cooperation of the OEMs and OEM suppliers. This is the most difficult to achieve because it involves accountants and lawyers, and it rarely happens without LOTS of money exchanging hands.
- Sim operators that are willing to work with sim manufacturers to resolve problems (i.e., "It doesn't work" isn't a useful description of a simulator discrepancy).
- Pairing a sim operator that cares with a sim manufacturer that cares. Sounds cheesy, but that doesn't make it any less important. Developing a quality sim is a huge effort, and at some point in the development cycle the limits of those involved are going to be pushed. Having people involved that really care is going to make a difference between pushing onward or settling for mediocrity.
- Money to pay for all this.
- Time to make all this happen.
I've been fortunate to work with some very talented pilots employed by operators that really care about producing a quality simulator, but there's also been the times when that wasn't the case. The difference in the final product shows.
I could go on for pages about the qualification regs and what they do and don't not accomplish as far as objectively measuring sim behavior, but that's best left for another thread.