Local service carriers , or local service airlines , originally known as feeder carriers or feeder airlines , were a category of US domestic airline created/regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct federal agency that tightly regulated the US airline industry 1938–1978. Initially 23 such airlines were certificated from 1943 to 1949 to serve smaller US domestic markets unserved/poorly served by existing domestic carriers, the trunk carriers , which flew the main, or trunk, routes. However, not all of these started operation and some that did later had their certificates withdrawn. One other carrier was certificated in 1950 as a replacement. "Feeder airline" alludes to another purpose, that such airlines would feed passengers to trunk carriers. It was expected that a significant number of passenger itineraries would involve a connection between a local service carrier and a trunk carrier.
90-699: Mohawk Airlines was a local service carrier operating in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States , mainly in New York and Pennsylvania , from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972. At its height, it employed over 2,200 personnel and pioneered several aspects of regional airline operations, including being the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant , in 1958. The airline
180-449: A simulation model are the equations of motion for the aircraft. As the aircraft moves through atmosphere it can exhibit both translational and rotational degrees of freedom . To achieve perception of fluent movement, these equations are solved 50 or 60 times per second. The forces for motion are calculated from aerodynamical models, which in turn depend on state of control surfaces, driven by specific systems, with their avionics, etc. As
270-466: A stick shaker . Another form of tactile input from the pilot are instruments located on the panels in the cockpit. As they are used to interact with various aircraft systems, just that may be sufficient for some forms of procedure training. Displaying them on a screen is sufficient for the most basic BITD simulators and amateur flight simulation , however most classes of certified simulators need all buttons, switches and other inputs to be operated in
360-520: A day), and 180,000 first officers evolving to captains . The largest manufacturer is Canadian CAE Inc. with a 70% market share and $ 2.8 billion annual revenues, manufacturing training devices for 70 years but moved into training in 2000 with multiple acquisitions. Now CAE makes more from training than from producing the simulators. Crawley-based L3 CTS entered the market in 2012 by acquiring Thales Training & Simulation 's manufacturing plant near Gatwick Airport where it assembles up to 30 devices
450-492: A device to hook mailbags in flight. This certification was de-novo, rather than grandfathered, but valid only for mail and freight. Some applicants failed to launch service at all. In the case of three applicants with unusual business plans, certification eventually expired or was revoked due to failure to operate: Arizona Airways failed to launch as a feeder carrier but avoided certificate revocation. The airline flew (1946–1948) as an Arizona intrastate airline before winning
540-581: A dozen Army pilots were killed. The Army Air Force hierarchy remembered Ed Link and his trainer. Link flew in to meet them at Newark Field in New Jersey, and they were impressed by his ability to arrive on a day with poor visibility, due to practice on his training device. The result was that the USAAF purchased six Link Trainers, and this can be said to mark the start of the world flight simulation industry. The principal pilot trainer used during World War II
630-609: A farmers cooperative that had been organized by members of The Grange , and Cornell University . Most significant was the involvement of Edwin Albert Link , creator of the Link Trainer . Link lent the airline $ 75,000 to purchase three used Douglas DC-3s — but also removed control of the company from Robinson, making pilot Robert Peach its general manager. In 1948, the Civil Aeronautics Board certified
720-678: A feeder cargo carrier for UPS Airlines and Fedex Express since the 1980s. In 1952, early in the development of feeder airlines, the CAB chose to deregulate airlines flying "small aircraft". This was formalized in Part 298 of the Board's economic regulations, which gave blanket authorization for airlines operating an aircraft with a maximum gross takeoff weight of 12,500 lbs or less. Such airlines were originally known as scheduled air taxis, later as commuter airlines or Part 298 carriers. This effectively created
810-495: A feeder certificate for routes in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. But intrastate service exhausted its capital. The airline ceased operating while preparing for feeder service, was unable to raise funding, and the CAB threatened to revoke its certificate. At the last minute, the carrier, still grounded, agreed to a takeover by Monarch Air Lines. This turned into a three-way merger with the addition of Challenger Airlines , resulting in
900-476: A flat surface, as well as brightness in regions with overlapping projections. There are also different shapes of screens used, including cylindrical, spherical or ellipsoidal. The image can be projected on the viewing side of the projection screen , or alternatively "back-projection" onto a translucent screen. Because the screen is much closer than objects outside aircraft, the most advanced flight simulators employ cross-cockpit collimated displays that eliminate
990-402: A horizontal beam on which are mounted 40 ft rails, allowing lateral movement of a simulator cab of +/- 20 feet. A conventional 6-degree of freedom hexapod platform is mounted on the 40 ft beam, and an interchangeable cabin is mounted on the platform. This design permits quick switching of different aircraft cabins. Simulations have ranged from blimps, commercial and military aircraft to
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#17327838420651080-498: A later merger with America West Airlines in 2005, US Airways purchased American Airlines in 2015 and assumed operations under the American Airlines name and logo. Airports marked with an asterisk (*) are not now served by any scheduled airline. From top to bottom: Local service carrier Local service carriers ultimately became substantial carriers in their own right, all such carriers flew jet aircraft by
1170-425: A limit on maximum latency between pilot input and aircraft reaction. Because of that, tradeoffs are made to reach the required level of realism with a lower computational cost. Flight simulators typically don't include full computational fluid dynamics models for forces or weather, but use databases of prepared results from calculations and data acquired in real flights. As an example, instead of simulating flow over
1260-516: A local service carrier went head-to-head with a trunk was in 1957, when the CAB allowed Mohawk to compete with American Airlines on the Syracuse-New York City route. Further, some local service carrier routes were assigned to trunks. As previously noted, in 1950, some of the routes originally awarded to Parks Air Lines, a local service carrier, were handed to Mid-Continent Airlines, a trunk, after Parks failed to start operation in
1350-411: A military aircraft or hoist operators. Separate simulators have also been used for tasks related to flight, like evacuating the aircraft in case of a crash in water. With high complexity of many systems composing contemporary aircraft, aircraft maintenance simulators are increasingly popular. Before September 2018, when a manufacturer wished to have an ATD model approved, a document that contains
1440-528: A new category of airline underneath the local service carriers. In 1972 the CAB expanded the aircraft size limit to include those of 30 passengers or fewer, with a payload of less than 7,500 lbs. Such carriers did have to obtain Federal Aviation Administration operational/safety certification but were otherwise able to fly wherever they pleased. The CAB would, on occasion, also exempt commuter operators to operate aircraft larger than
1530-430: A pilot license. Specific classes of simulators are also used for training other than obtaining initial license such as instrument rating revalidation, or most commonly obtaining type rating for specific kind of aircraft. During the aircraft design process , flight simulators can be used instead of performing some flight tests. Such "engineering flight simulators" can provide a fast way to find errors, reducing both
1620-650: A range of simulators for disorientation training, that have full freedom in yaw. The most complex of these devices is the Desdemona simulator at the TNO Research Institute in The Netherlands, manufactured by AMST. This large simulator has a gimballed cockpit mounted on a framework which adds vertical motion. The framework is mounted on rails attached to a rotating platform. The rails allow the simulator cab to be positioned at different radii from
1710-512: A route from Houston to Amarillo, Texas via many intermediate points. The CAB regarded this as an experiment so Essair's certification was temporary. The airline would need to renew its certificate in three years. In the meantime, prompted by the Essair certification, the CAB initiated a case, published July 1944, to consider local air service nationally. Politicians, business groups, would-be airlines and others pushed for such airlines, although
1800-482: A screen Flight Navigation and Procedures Trainer (FNPT) : Representation of cockpit with all equipment and software to replicate function of aircraft systems Flight Training Devices (FTD) Full Flight Simulators (FFS) Flight simulators are an example of a human-in-the-loop system, in which interaction with a human user is constantly happening. From perspective of the device, the inputs are primary flight controls , instrument panel buttons and switches and
1890-420: A self-contained system with well-defined inputs and outputs. All classes of FSTD require some form of replicating the cockpit. As they are the primary means of interaction between the pilot and the aircraft special importance is assigned to cockpit controls . To achieve good transfer of skills, there are very specific requirements in the flight simulator regulations that determine how closely they must match
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#17327838420651980-470: A single route. After litigation failed to stop the CAB from moving forward, Parks sold itself to Ozark. Since Ozark had no airline operation at the time, Parks essentially became Ozark. In 1949, Purdue Aeronautics Corporation (PAC), a Purdue University subsidiary, was awarded stopgap certification for a single route, Chicago - Lafayette, Indiana . The route authority was held by feeder airline Turner Airlines , shortly to become Lake Central Airlines , which
2070-408: A small trunk carrier that Delta Air Lines bought in 1972. ANE was initially nationally reported as the first new local service carrier since Ozark in 1950. Initially the CAB regulated ANE as such, but in 1976 ANE was relabeled as something new in the CAB taxonomy, a "regional carrier". The clear intent of the CAB when it certificated ANE was to keep it focused on small New England routes. Oddly, when
2160-503: A structured test schedule. For many years, it was believed that 6 DOF motion-based simulation gave the pilot closer fidelity to flight control operations and aircraft responses to control inputs and external forces and gave a better training outcome for students than non-motion-based simulation. This is described as "handling fidelity", which can be assessed by test flight standards such as the numerical Cooper-Harper rating scale for handling qualities. Recent scientific studies have shown that
2250-560: A tag-line “did you know Allegheny is that big?” Ads noted Allegheny: However, as Table 2 shows, the distinction between trunk airline and local service airline remained obvious all the way to 1978, the last year of the regulated era. Relative to local service carriers, even the smallest trunk airlines flew substantially greater seat-miles and distances and with substantially larger aircraft. These events left eight local service carriers in 1978 as shown in Table 2. As of 2024, American Airlines
2340-452: A ticket connecting to another airline. The CAB saw the trunks as a special category of airline to be particularly protected: Over time, local service carriers did come to compete with trunk carriers to a degree. In permitting local service carriers to enter some trunk routes, the CAB was motivated in significant part by a desire reduce government subsidy paid to local service carriers, a process known as “route strengthening.” The first time
2430-632: A timely manner. And in 1955, the CAB permitted a trunk airline to buy a local service carrier, when Continental Air Lines bought Pioneer. So the division between local service carriers and trunks was far from absolute. In 1974, the CAB certificated a new domestic carrier, Air New England (ANE), to placate New England politicians, business groups and citizens who felt they deserved to have a certificated carrier fly small routes in New England (as opposed to relying on unregulated commuter operators). These routes were previously flown by Northeast Airlines ,
2520-530: A year, then UK CTC training school in 2015, Aerosim in Sanford, Florida in 2016, and Portuguese academy G Air in October 2017. With a 20% market share, equipment still accounts for more than half of L3 CTS turnover but that could soon be reversed as it educates 1,600 commercial pilots each year, 7% of the 22,000 entering the profession annually, and aims for 10% in a fragmented market. The third largest
2610-708: A year: 85% FFSs and 15% FTD s. CAE supplied 56% of this installed base, L3 CTS 20% and FlightSafety International 10%, while CAE's training centres are the largest operator, with a 13% share. North America has 38% of the world's training devices, Asia-Pacific 25% and Europe 24%. Boeing types represent 45% of all simulated aircraft, followed by Airbus with 35%, then Embraer at 7%, Bombardier at 6% and ATR at 3%. Most flight simulators are used primarily for flight training . The simplest simulators are used to practice basic cockpit procedures, such as processing emergency checklists, and for cockpit familiarization. They are also used for instrument flight training, for which
2700-620: Is TRU Simulation + Training , created in 2014 when parent Textron Aviation merged its simulators with Mechtronix , OPINICUS and ProFlight , focusing on simulators and developing the first full-flight simulators for the 737 MAX and the 777X . The fourth is FlightSafety International , focused on general , business and regional aircraft . Airbus and Boeing have invested in their own training centres, aiming for higher margins than aircraft manufacturing like MRO , competing with their suppliers CAE and L3. In June 2018, there were 1,270 commercial airline simulators in service, up by 50 over
2790-410: Is known as "parallel simulation" or "distributed simulation". As military aircraft often need to cooperate with other craft or military personnel, wargames are a common use for distributed simulation. Because of that, numerous standards for distributed simulation including aircraft have been developed with military organisations. Some examples include SIMNET , DIS and HLA . The central element of
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2880-472: Is the case with modelling, depending on the required level of realism, there are different levels of detail, with some sub-models omitted in simpler simulators. If a human user is part of the simulator, which might not be the case for some engineering simulators, there is a need to perform the simulation in real-time. Low refresh rates not only reduce realism of simulation, but they have also been linked with increase in simulator sickness . The regulations place
2970-421: Is the corporate successor to the following original local service certificates: As of 2024, Delta Air Lines is the corporate successor to the following original local service certificates: As of 2024, United Airlines is the corporate successor to the following original local service certificates: Flight simulator A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and
3060-535: Is used to refer to different kinds of flight training devices, and that corresponds more closely to meaning of the phrase "flight simulator" in general English. In 1910, on the initiative of the French commanders Clolus and Laffont and Lieutenant Clavenad, the first ground training aircraft for military aircraft were built. The "Tonneau Antoinette" (Antoinette barrel), created by the Antoinette company, seems to be
3150-747: The Catskill Mountains with a Sikorsky S-55 . (The July 1954 OAG shows 13 flights a week each way between Newark and Liberty Airport 41°48′N 74°42′W / 41.80°N 74.70°W / 41.80; -74.70 ; fare $ 18 one way plus tax.) More successfully, the airline introduced Convair 240s on 1 July 1955, becoming the first local service carrier with pressurized aircraft. In 1956, having outgrown its facilities in Ithaca, it moved its corporate offices to Utica . When hired by Mohawk Airlines in December 1957, Ruth Carol Taylor became
3240-432: The parallax effect between the pilots' point of view, and provide a more realistic view of distant objects. An alternative to large-scale displays are virtual reality simulators using a head-mounted display . This approach allows for a complete field of view, and makes the simulator size considerably smaller. There are examples of use in research, as well as certified FSTD . Visual simulation science applied from
3330-471: The "Link Trainer". Link also demonstrated his trainer to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), but with no result. However, the situation changed in 1934 when the Army Air Force was given a government contract to fly the postal mail. This included having to fly in bad weather as well as good, for which the USAAF had not previously carried out much training. During the first weeks of the mail service, nearly
3420-412: The CAB and the post office (which at the time subsidized air transport through airmail contracts) were "not enthusiastic." By January 1944, the CAB had received 435 applications by would-be feeder airlines. The Board saw itself obligated by the 1938 Act to expand air service to smaller markets. The Board was not confident feeder service could be provided on a cost-efficient basis by the trunks, therefore
3510-412: The CAB came to create a specific regional certificate for ANE, it found the existing form of ANE's certificate was that of a trunk, not a local service carrier. Local service carriers aspired to be seen as “big” airlines. For instance, in the mid-1970s, Allegheny, the largest of the local service carriers, ran an advertising campaign “It takes a big airline”, comparing itself to the trunks, and it adopted
3600-424: The CAB decided to certificate new carriers, with the idea they would become specialists in serving small routes efficiently. By giving them temporary certificates, the increased subsidies for providing local service was also theoretically temporary. The CAB may also not have wanted to risk the progress trunk carriers made in evolving towards subsidy-free operation. Even before it published its local service findings,
3690-542: The CAB launched a series of cases to certificate new feeder carriers across the contiguous United States . The CAB separately certificated "territorial" airlines for Hawaii and Alaska which, at the time, were territories not states. 14 feeder cases completed during the timeframe 1946–1949, awarding an additional 22 new entities (beyond Pioneer) feeder service certificates covering most of the contiguous United States . These certificates were temporary and conditional. Successful local service applicants had to demonstrate access to
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3780-423: The CAB revoking the company’s certification in 1950. The CAB awarded most of Parks's routes to a new feeder carrier, Ozark Air Lines, making Ozark the last feeder to be certificated. The CAB awarded the remaining Parks routes to Mid-Continent Airlines , a trunk carrier, a controversial decision since feeder and trunk airlines were supposed to be separate. Shortly before the CAB's revocation, Parks started service on
3870-497: The CAB; it had made "elaborate promises" to the trunks that local service carriers would never be able to "come into full competitive status". (see "Trunks, the protected class" below). Prior to permanent certificates, the uncertainty of their regulatory status made it impossible for local service carriers to borrow on a long-term basis. Consequently, the carriers were largely equity funded prior to permanent certificates. CAB-regulated airlines interlined with every other carrier (which
3960-649: The QTGs will be rerun during the year to prove during continuous qualification that the simulator is still in the tolerances approved by the CAA. These definitions apply to both airplanes and helicopters unless specified otherwise. Training devices briefly compared below are all different subclasses of Flight simulation training device (FSTD). Basic instrument training device (BITD) airplanes only : A basic student station for instrument flight procedures; can use spring loaded flight controls, and instruments displayed on
4050-533: The Singer Link Digital Image Generator (DIG) created in 1978 was considered one of the worlds first CGI system. Initially, the motion systems used separate axes of movement, similar to a gimbal . After the invention of Stewart platform simultaneous operation of all actuators became the preferred choice, with some FFS regulations specifically requiring "synergistic" 6 degrees of freedom motion. In contrast to real aircraft,
4140-680: The Space Shuttle. In the case of the Space Shuttle, the large Vertical Motion Simulator was used to investigate a longitudinal pilot-induced oscillation (PIO) that occurred on an early Shuttle flight just before landing. After identification of the problem on the VMS, it was used to try different longitudinal control algorithms and recommend the best for use in the Shuttle program. AMST Systemtechnik GmbH (AMST) of Austria and Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) of Philadelphia, US, manufacture
4230-447: The aircraft is an important cue for flying the aircraft, and is the primary means of navigation for visual flight rules operation. One of the primary characteristics of a visual system is the field of view . Depending on the simulator type it may be sufficient to provide only a view forward using a flat display. However, some types of craft, e.g. fighter aircraft , require a very large field of view, preferably almost full sphere, due to
4320-416: The airline (e.g. moving from single-engined aircraft to Douglas DC-3s ). The CAB allowed Purdue to buy the airline, but then refused to renew its certificate the next year. Florida Airways and Mid-West went out of business as a result of losing their certificates. The scheduled passenger operations of E.W. Wiggins were part of a larger business and the company is still a going concern as of 2024, operating as
4410-741: The airline as a local service carrier, awarding a variety of routes in the Mohawk Valley region . The airline adopted the slogan Route of the Air Chiefs , and painted a blue and red "air chief" on the tails of its planes. In 1952 Robert Peach purchased a controlling share of the airline, and Robinson removed himself from day-to-day operations. The board adopted the name Mohawk Airlines; in 1953 it carried 2 million passengers between 15 airports and had revenue of $ 24.3 million. The following summer it experimented briefly with helicopter service, connecting Newark, New Jersey , and Grossinger's Resort in
4500-478: The creation of the original Frontier Airlines in 1950 as one of the largest local service carriers, flying small routes from the Mexican to Canadian borders in the mountain states. Parks Air Lines received routes in three CAB cases, leaving it with a feeder network deemed one of the richest. But it was unable to raise funds. The airline proposed a series of launch alternatives the CAB found unacceptable, leading to
4590-717: The decision of the full five-member Board. Each case usually certificated one or more new local service carriers and might also allocate longer routes in the same region to trunks. For instance, the March 1946 decision in the Service in the Rocky Mountain States Area case (which launched in the summer of 1944) certificated two new feeder lines (soon to adopt the names Monarch Air Lines and Challenger Airlines) splitting local routes across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, while awarding additional routes in
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#17327838420654680-540: The design and development of the aircraft itself, and research into aircraft characteristics and control handling qualities. The term "flight simulator" may carry slightly different meaning in general language and technical documents. In past regulations, it referred specifically to devices which can closely mimic the behavior of aircraft throughout various procedures and flight conditions. In more recent definitions, this has been named " full flight simulator ". The more generic term "flight simulation training device" (FSTD)
4770-593: The end of World War II , the Fairchilds were supplemented with two Cessna T-50s , and in 1946, the entire fleet was replaced with Beechcraft Model 18s . To keep the airline flying, Robinson secured investments from a variety of local sources, notably Ithaca Enterprises, a nonprofit organization responsible for bringing new businesses to Ithaca, and the Cooperative Grange League Federation Exchange (now part of Agway ),
4860-474: The end of the regulated era (1978). Over time, local service carriers began to compete more directly with trunk carriers. But a clear distinction, visible in financial and operating data, continued to exist between the two types of domestic carriers through the end of the regulated era, reflecting a difference in how the CAB regulated the two types of carriers. In particular, in contrast to trunk carriers, local service airlines received government subsidies throughout
4950-465: The environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of flight controls, the effects of other aircraft systems, and how the aircraft reacts to external factors such as air density , turbulence , wind shear, cloud, precipitation, etc. Flight simulation is used for a variety of reasons, including flight training (mainly of pilots),
5040-459: The exception of intrastate airlines , only airlines certificated by the CAA/CAB could engage in scheduled air transport. Airlines that could show they were flying scheduled service before the passage of the 1938 Act were entitled to certification by grandfathering . 19 domestic passenger airlines were certificated in this way. The 16 of these that continued to operate after World War II were called
5130-510: The first African-American flight attendant in the United States. Six months after breaking one historic barrier, Ruth Taylor's career ended due to another barrier: the airline's marriage ban, a common practice among airlines of the day. Airlines often dismissed flight attendants who married or became pregnant. Mohawk's golden age was the late 1950s and early 1960s; it acquired the Convair 440 in 1958, and Martin 4-0-4s in 1960. In 1961, Mohawk
5220-499: The funding they claimed to have, and that a sufficient number of airports had necessary infrastructure (e.g. sufficiently long runways, radios, etc) to handle commercial service. Cases could take well over a year, sometimes longer, to decide (note the gap between when the CAB launched the cases in 1944 and the publishing of the first case in spring 1946) typically had over a dozen applicants and other participants, public hearings, an initial finding by an examiner, followed by
5310-445: The instructor's station, if present. Based on these, the internal state is updated, and equations of motion solved for the new time step. The new state of the simulated aircraft is shown to the user through visual, auditory, motion and touch channels. To simulate cooperative tasks, the simulator can be suited for multiple users, as is the case with multi-crew cooperation simulators. Alternatively, more simulators can be connected, what
5400-544: The limits. For instance, in 1971, it exempted Executive Airlines and Air New England (at that time a commuter carrier) to fly propeller aircraft up to 44 seats to expand service in New England. In 1955, the US Congress forced the CAB to make the certificates of these carriers permanent (Public Law 38, enacted May 19, 1955 amending the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938). This was done against the wishes of
5490-494: The manoeuvres that are performed during air combat. Similarly, since helicopters can perform hover flight in any direction, some classes of helicopter flight simulators require even 180 degrees of horizontal field of view. There are many parameters in visual system design. For a narrow field of view, a single display may be sufficient, however typically multiple projectors are required. This arrangement needs additional calibration, both in terms of distortion from not projecting on
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#17327838420655580-644: The original case certificating Essair). The CAB did not distribute route authorities to feeders equally. The size of the Parks Air Lines network was over eight times the size of the Florida Airways network, for instance. Among successful applicants, All-American Aviation (later Allegheny Airlines, the predecessor to US Airways ) was unique because it already had CAB-certification. The CAB certificated All American for “pick-up” service in 1940 – All American picked up mail without landing through use of
5670-460: The outside view is less important. Certain aircraft systems may or may not be simulated, and the aerodynamic model is usually extremely generic if present at all. Depending on the level of certification, instruments that would have moving indicators in a real aircraft may be implemented with a display. With more advanced displays, cockpit representation and motion systems, flight simulators can be used to credit different amount of flight hours towards
5760-433: The platform, providing yaw cues. A generic replica cockpit with working instruments was mounted on the motion platform. When the cockpit was covered, pilots could practice flying by instruments in a safe environment. The motion platform gave the pilot cues as to real angular motion in pitch (nose up and down), roll (wing up or down) and yaw (nose left and right). Initially, aviation flight schools showed little interest in
5850-547: The precursor of flight simulators. An area of training was for air gunnery handled by the pilot or a specialist air gunner. Firing at a moving target requires aiming ahead of the target (which involves the so-called lead angle) to allow for the time the bullets require to reach the vicinity of the target. This is sometimes also called "deflection shooting" and requires skill and practice. During World War I , some ground-based simulators were developed to teach this skill to new pilots. The best-known early flight simulation device
5940-574: The real aircraft. These requirements in case of full flight simulators are so detailed, that it may be cost-effective to use the real part certified to fly, rather than manufacture a dedicated replica. Lower classes of simulators may use springs to mimic forces felt when moving the controls. When there is a need to better replicate the control forces or dynamic response, many simulators are equipped with actively driven force feedback systems. Vibration actuators may also be included, either due to helicopter simulation requirements, or for aircraft equipped with
6030-513: The regulated era. But after US airline deregulation in 1979, the distinction between trunk and local service carriers vanished. The passage of the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 put almost all US commercial air transport under the tight control of a newly formed Federal agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA). In 1940, those regulatory functions passed to another Federal agency, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). With
6120-424: The risks and the cost of development. Additionally, this allows use of extra measurement equipment that might be too large or otherwise impractical to include during onboard a real aircraft. Throughout different phases of the design process, different engineering simulators with various level of complexity are used. Flight simulators may include training tasks for crew other than pilots. Examples include gunners on
6210-550: The same region to Western Air Lines and Inland Air Lines , two trunk carriers. Some airlines won routes in multiple cases. Parks Air Lines , for instance, won routes in three. One later case allocated routes only to feeders previously certificated in earlier cases. A cleanup case re-awarded routes to Southern Airways that the CAB was not confident had been properly awarded previously. CAB decisions could be challenged in Federal courts and some feeder certifications were (such as
6300-400: The same way as in the aircraft cockpit. The necessity for a physical copy of a cockpit contributes to the cost of simulator construction, and ties the hardware to a specific aircraft type. Because of these reasons, there is ongoing research on interactions in virtual reality , however lack of tactile feedback negatively affects users' performance when using this technology. Outside view from
6390-689: The simulated motion system has a limited range in which it is able to move. That especially affects the ability to simulate sustained accelerations, and requires a separate model to approximate the cues to the human vestibular system within the given constraints. Motion system is a major contributor to overall simulator cost , but assessments of skill transfer based on training on a simulator and leading to handling an actual aircraft are difficult to make, particularly where motion cues are concerned. Large samples of pilot opinion are required and many subjective opinions tend to be aired, particularly by pilots not used to making objective assessments and responding to
6480-515: The specifications for the model line and that proves compliance with the appropriate regulations is submitted to the FAA. Once this document, called a Qualification Approval Guide (QAG), has been approved, all future devices conforming to the QAG are automatically approved and individual evaluation is neither required nor available. The actual procedure accepted by all CAAs (Civil Aviation Authorities) around
6570-564: The surfaces and transition from one level of image detail to the next one in a smooth manner. Real-time computer graphics visualization of virtual worlds makes some aspects of flight simulator visual systems very similar to game engines , sharing some techniques like different levels of details or libraries like OpenGL . Many computer graphics visionaries began their careers at Evans & Sutherland and Link Flight Simulation, Division of Singer Company, two leading companies in flight simulation before today's modern computing era. For example,
6660-470: The trunk carriers or trunk airlines. In many respects, the CAB regulated the industry in the interests of the trunk carriers. In November 1943, the CAB certificated Houston -based Essair (later called Pioneer Air Lines ) to fly feeder routes in Texas, the first airline to be certificated to fly domestic passengers since the grandfathering of the trunk carriers. Essair started feeder service on 1 August 1945 on
6750-527: The use of technology such as vibration or dynamic seats within flight simulators can be equally effective in the delivery of training as large and expensive 6-DOF FFS devices. The largest flight simulator in the world is the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at NASA Ames Research Center , south of San Francisco. This has a very large-throw motion system with 60 feet (+/- 30 ft) of vertical movement (heave). The heave system supports
6840-617: The visual systems developed in flight simulators were also an important precursor to three dimensional computer graphics and Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) systems today. Namely because the object of flight simulation is to reproduce on the ground the behavior of an aircraft in flight. Much of this reproduction had to do with believable visual synthesis that mimicked reality. Combined with the need to pair virtual synthesis with military level training requirements, graphics technologies applied in flight simulation were often years ahead of what would have been available in commercial products. When CGI
6930-404: The wings, lift coefficient may be defined in terms of motion parameters like angle of attack . While different models need to exchange data, most often they can be separated into a modular architecture, for better organisation and ease of development. Typically, gear model for ground handling would be separate input to the main equations of motion. Each engine and avionics instrument is also
7020-582: The world is to propose 30 days prior qualification date (40 days for CAAC) a MQTG document (Master Qualification Test Guide), which is proper to a unique simulator device and will live along the device itself, containing objective, and functional and subjective tests to demonstrate the representativeness of the simulator compare to the airplane. The results will be compared to Flight Test Data provided by aircraft OEMs or from test campaign ordered by simulator OEMs or also can be compared by POM (Proof Of Match) data provided by aircraft OEMs development simulators. Some of
7110-400: Was 13.7 m (45 ft) high and capable of accommodating the navigation team of a bomber crew. It enabled sextants to be used for taking "star shots" from a projected display of the night sky. In 1954 United Airlines bought four flight simulators at a cost of $ 3 million from Curtiss-Wright that were similar to the earlier models, with the addition of visuals, sound and movement. This
7200-525: Was based at Ithaca Municipal Airport near Ithaca, New York , until 1958, when it moved to Oneida County Airport in Whitestown, New York . The airline was founded in 1945 as Robinson Airlines by aerial photographer C. S. Robinson as a unit of Robinson Aviation , completing its first passenger flight on 6 April. The operation was based out of Ithaca Municipal Airport near Ithaca, New York, flying single-engine, three-passenger Fairchild F-24s . After
7290-532: Was done with CAB approval through a subsidiary of the Air Transport Association , at the time the club for all the CAB air carriers). It was normal for passenger itineraries to involve a ticket on more than one airline. No airline offered comprehensive service because the CAB intentionally limited competition. This can be seen in statistics for the local service carrier connections. In 1964, over 40% of passengers on local service carriers were on
7380-514: Was first used to train pilots, early systems proved effective for certain simple training missions but needed further development for sophisticated training tasks as terrain following and other tactical maneuvers. Early CGI systems could depict only objects consisting of planar polygons. Advances in algorithms and electronics in flight simulator visual systems and CGI in the 1970s and 1980s influenced many technologies still used in modern graphics. Over time CGI systems were able to superimpose texture over
7470-418: Was not just for show; the CAB declined to renew the certificates of three feeders, Florida Airways in 1949, Mid-West in 1952 and E.W. Wiggins Airways in 1953. The issue was economics; the CAB deemed unacceptable the amount of government subsidy required to keep the airlines operating. In the case of Mid-West, another subsidiary of Purdue University bought the carrier in 1951, with a plan to substantially upgrade
7560-421: Was slow starting service. PAC flew the route for just over two months in late 1949 and early 1950 until Turner was ready to go. That was the end of Purdue University's brief time operating a Federally-certificated scheduled airline, but two years later, Purdue played a role in the fate of Mid-West Airlines , as detailed below. Feeder certificates were initially temporary, subject to renewal every three years. This
7650-522: Was subsidized; in 1962 operating "revenues" totaled $ 23.3 million including $ 4.6 million "federal subsidy". In May 1968, Mohawk served 38 airports, from Boston and Washington, D.C. to Detroit. Between 1968 and 1971, labor and economic issues bled Mohawk financially. Unable to pay creditors at the end of that period, Mohawk began merger discussions with Allegheny Airlines , and merged into Allegheny on 12 April 1972. Allegheny changed its name to USAir in 1979, and later to US Airways . Following bankruptcies and
7740-689: Was the Link Trainer , produced by Edwin Link in Binghamton, New York , United States, which he started building in 1927. He later patented his design, which was first available for sale in 1929. The Link Trainer was a basic metal frame flight simulator usually painted in its well-known blue color. Some of these early war era flight simulators still exist, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find working examples. The Link family firm in Binghamton manufactured player pianos and organs, and Ed Link
7830-609: Was the Link Trainer. Some 10,000 were produced to train 500,000 new pilots from allied nations, many in the US and Canada because many pilots were trained in those countries before returning to Europe or the Pacific to fly combat missions. Almost all US Army Air Force pilots were trained in a Link Trainer. A different type of World War II trainer was used for navigating at night by the stars. The Celestial Navigation Trainer of 1941
7920-664: Was the first airline to use a centralized computer-based reservation service, and in 1965, the first regional airline to use flight simulators . Mohawk upgraded its fleet with the BAC One-Eleven in 1965, becoming the first regional airline to fly jets. The last DC-3 flights were in 1962; Mohawk ended Convair piston flights in 1969 and mainly flew the BAC One-Eleven and the Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprop . Like other local service airlines, Mohawk
8010-527: Was the first of today's modern flight simulators for commercial aircraft. A simulator for helicopters existed as the Jacobs Jaycopter as means of “Cutting helicopter training cost.”. The simulator was later sold as a funfair ride in the 1964-65 New York World's Fair . The simulator manufacturers are consolidating and integrate vertically as training offers double-digit growth: CAE forecast 255,000 new airline pilots from 2017 to 2027 (70
8100-511: Was therefore familiar with such components as leather bellows and reed switches. He was also a pilot, but dissatisfied with the amount of real flight training that was available, he decided to build a ground-based device to provide such training without the restrictions of weather and the availability of aircraft and flight instructors. His design had a pneumatic motion platform driven by inflatable bellows which provided pitch and roll cues. A vacuum motor similar to those used in player pianos rotated
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