SFT et al
So what we are saying is:
1. Include the sim in the package for a new type from day 1.
2. Tie in all component suppliers to the same programme at the initial contract phase.
3. Production of an 'open source' data package to be a condition of certification and that should include any and all iterations that follow.
No more charades that attempt to disguise the fact that to teach a new type the flight and sim instructors involved must be given the right tools to do the job. The first organisation to put together a competent package will corner the market and those who ignore the realities will find themselves with some very expensive tourist attractions that nobody wants to use.
For sure up front costs will be higher but just think of the bliss of no more 'lost-time recovery' and never again will you be faced with a student who says "Geoff, that was so confusing I now know less than when I went in." (sorry Andy!) after a session in which the FMS computers seem to have a mind of their own.
G.