Please remember these devices are not sims they are flight nav procedure trainers.
As www says the FNPT is good at teaching you the scan, the checks, procedures, and how to use all the nav gear (why you need a stimulated GPS for intial IR training I don't know) . In a nice controlled enviroment which can be stopped, reversed put into hyperdrive whatever. It dosn't simulate real life.
No proper ATC
No beam bends in the NDB (fecking Leeds)
No wind changes
No turbulence
No other traffic
No ...... all the other things which rear there ugly heads in a real life trip.
After you have got the scan and the techniques. Its time for the aircraft. The FNPT then should be used to allow cockups to be revisted in a controlled enviroment where the student isn't as stressed out and can reflect and learn more easly. Having a big grey screen in front of you instead of a fibreglass board makes no difference.
FNPT time can be placed in your log book but it means nothing outside the requirments of the course for IR and CPL etc.
It dosn't go toward your total time or MEP time for the purposes of solo hire of a twin if it has a min 50hrs restriction. Or i might add when someone is looking through a batch of CV's and decides to cut the numbers down by dumping all CV's below 25hours twin time.
From a FTO's point of view I can see why they want to go down the FNPT II route
1. FNPT's don't go tech as much as planes and don't have down time for maint
2. You get alot faster through put of punters on the machine
3. You are not governed by wx.
4. No hassels with ATC booking slots on the beacon
5. Brillant marketing toy. Lots of glassy eyed punters thinking that it looks the dogs bits
6. MCC course can be run on it, which must be one of the highest profit margins in flight training.
7. IR renewals can be done alot cheaper than in an aircraft.
Although on paper they can drive the price of a course below doing it on a twin. The student might not be getting the same value for money as doing it in a twin from both a training point of view and useful logged hours.
All it takes is 1 extra trip pre 170a at @250+ an hour and your looking at an additional 500 quid minimum which has removed any savings.
www said
Not to mention that is not the tool but the craftsman that is paramount.
I agree 100% with this statement its the person that sets the thing up and pushes the students in a manner that makes them learn that makes the difference. Not some fancy box which looks flash.
MJ