I have to concur with Paco, I have a lot of experience with both FTDs and FFSs, in training and certification realms, and I came to the conclusion that an FTD is more cost-effective in my opinion. You must factor in the additional cost of the facility that houses the FFS and the extra cost of maintenance of the motion system, regardless of whether electric or hydraulic legs, it's still expensive and can be time-consuming.
As far as what to utilize it for well that's where quality syllabus development comes into play. Use a training pyramid, start with the basics like emergency procedures, autorotations, etc., then progress to scenario-based training events that emphasize CRM and decision making skills. Top it all off with an end-of-course scenario that is realistic yet challenges the pilot/crew. Most importantly, get feedback from each session and constantly freshen the courseware and actively develop newer training events based on the feedback.
Lastly, the simulator is only as good as the capabilities it has "baked in" so to speak. The sim should be fully capable of nearly all types of weather conditions, extremely accurate flight control modeling, a large database of system failures, and very importantly, an excellent, detailed visual database for conducting off-site operations. That last requirement can rate a discussion all its own and is unique to the helicopter world.
Last edited by mckpave; 24th Aug 2014 at 18:02.
Reason: added content