MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French
Federal Office of Civil Aviation
Bern, 30.09.2024 – Flight simulators have been used for around fifty years in commercial aviation and for training on multi-pilot aircraft. In future, tests to assess the aeronautical skills of pilots of helicopters and complex single-pilot aircraft will take place on simulators. Simulators have several advantages over real-world flights: they are safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Currently, several certified helicopter and PC-12 simulators are in operation in Switzerland for pilot training and testing. More will follow. Examiners certified by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) check the aeronautical skills of pilots as part of a flight test. The FOCA has decided that from 1 October 2024, tests of piloting skills on single-pilot aircraft must be carried out on a simulator if a suitable simulator is available. The same will apply from 1 June 2025 for tests on single-pilot helicopters. Several reasons are given for this decision. Firstly, the simulator eliminates the risk of accidents with significant financial consequences. Secondly, it is significantly less expensive than a flight in real conditions. Finally, the simulator does not cause any noise pollution or pollutant emissions.
Modern simulators are able to faithfully reproduce real situations of visual or instrument piloting by integrating, for example, engine failures, avionics failures or even forced landings. Today, simulators of this type are an integral part of the training and development of professional pilots.
On the other hand, until recently, the situation was different for simulators on helicopters and on complex or high-performance single-pilot aircraft. Although common European regulations have governed tests and examinations on simulators since 2011, they were rarely used for this purpose, due in particular to an insufficient fleet of aircraft.
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Author
Federal Office of Civil Aviationhttp://www.bazl.admin.ch
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.