The use of FAA-qualified personal computer-based aviation training devices (PCATD) has been approved by the FAA for more than a year. At the time this article was written (May 1998), four companies had qualified their respective PCATD's under Advisory Circular (AC) 61-126. Contrary to some people's belief within the aviation community, a "qualified" PCATD for use in an FAA-approved instrument training program requires more than just a personal computer, some software, and a couple of pieces of hardware from a video store. An FAA-qualified PCATD is a serious instrument training device designed to help prepare a pilot to fly in instrument conditions.

Once qualified, the PCATD can then be used as part of an integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum where it can be used for up to a maximum of 10 loggable training hours in an FAA-approved FAR Part 141 school, or in an acceptable instrument training curriculum under FAR Part 61. An FAA-qualified PCATD is not a computer game or toy, nor is it any collection of random miscellaneous computer parts. Like any FAA-qualified training device, only the specific type of equipment identified by make and model of hardware and specific version of software contained in the manufacturer's PCATD application to the FAA that meets all of the conditions outlined in AC 61-126 can become "qualified."

Once qualified, only that manufacturer's specific combination of hardware and software may be used under that specific PCATD's qualification. Once qualified, that PCATD can then be used to develop an instrument integrated ground and flight curriculum for FAA review and subsequent approval at the Flight Standards District Office level, if so required. Throughout this article, the terms "qualified" and "approved" take on special meanings. Regarding PCATD's, "qualified" means a manufacturer's specific combination of hardware and software to be used in a proposed PCATD meets all of the requirements listed in AC-61-126 for "qualifying" PCATD's under the AC.

FAA "approved" means two things regarding the use of PCATD's. First, it means that the FAA has reviewed the proposed PCATD and is satisfied that the equipment, hardware and software, does in fact meet the requirements of the AC, and that the manufacturer's subsequent units will continue to meet the qualification requirements. The second "approved" definition means that an FAA Flight Standards District Office has reviewed a proposed integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum using a "qualified" PCATD from one of its FAR Part 141 training schools, and that the FSDO has approved the use of that PCATD-based training curriculum. For instructors teaching under FAR Part 61, the FSDO's approval means the instructor is using a curriculum that must be in compliance with the scope and content of a curriculum as it would be approved under FAR Part 141.

 Under these respective definitions, an approved FAR Part 141 school curriculum using a qualified PCATD can include up to, but no more than, 10 hours of instrument training using the PCATD that can be credited towards meeting the instrument rating requirements under FAR Part 141. Since FAR Part 141 instrument training regulations permit up to 15 hours of instrument training in a flight training device (FTD) or a flight simulator (FS), the remaining five hours of available simulated instruction must be done in an FAA-approved FTD or FS. Under FAR Part 61 instrument training regulations, a qualified PCATD can be used to meet up to 10, but no more than 10, of the 20 hours of instrument training that can be done in an approved training device or flight simulator under Part 61. Under FAR Part 61, the remaining 10 hours of available training device or simulator authorization must be done in an FAA-approved FTD or FS.

 FAR Parts 141 or 61 permit the use of up to 15 or 20 hours of simulated instrument training respectively, but neither part dictates that any or all of those hours must be used. The only requirement involving PCATD's in either FAR part is that the use of a qualified PCATD cannot be credited for more than 10 training hours.

 For a pilot to be able to credit his or her PCATD training towards meeting the FAR instrument training requirements, each FAA-approved integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum under FAR Part 141 or an acceptable integrated ground and flight instrument training program under FAR Part 61 using a PCATD must consist of and only consist of the specific hardware and software the FAA has qualified for each manufacturer's respective PCATD. If a PCATD contains non-qualified components or software, the training conducted with that PCATD cannot be used to meet the FAA's training requirements for an instrument rating even if the training was conducted under an appropriate integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum.

Also, for the training time to be loggable towards meeting the training requirements for an instrument rating, the training must be provided by an appropriately rated instrument instructor. An authorized instructor may be either an appropriately rated instrument ground instructor for the respective ground segments of an integrated ground and flight training curriculum or a certificated flight instructor providing either ground or flight instrument instruction within the privileges and limitations of his or her respective certificate.

 HISTORY
For those not familiar with the original PCATD concept, PCATD's were approved for instrument training under FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 61-126 issued on May 12, 1997. Approved units are now available for flight training toward satisfying the instrument rating training requirements under the provisions of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations Parts 61 and 141 (FAR Parts 61 and 141). Approved PCATD's are distinct from flight training devices (FTD) qualified under AC 120-45, Airplane Flight Training Device Qualification, and flight simulators qualified under AC 120-40, Airplane Simulator Qualification.

 POSITIVE TRANSFER
EFFECTIVENESS
Based upon several years of scientific research including research done at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a study done at the University of Illinois, titled "Transfer of Training Effectiveness of Personal Computer-Based Aviation Training Devices: Final Report," dated October 1996, FAA decided to approve the use of the new aviation training devices. The study reported that "...all instrument training tasks allowed by this AC have a positive transfer effectiveness, or no statistically-significant negative transfer effectiveness." As in the case of other FAA approved aviation training devices, FAA's concern was to ensure that the device meets its intended training goal without jeopardizing the quality of training by providing any type of negative training that would transfer to a real aircraft. Any type of approved training device must show that the training it provides is transferable to the safe operation of an actual aircraft.

 AC 61-126 HIGHLIGHTS
Although AC 61-126 provides one means of showing compliance with the requirements of the AC, there may be others, and several important items must be pointed out.

• Any FAA-qualified PCATD must meet the requirements listed in the AC.

• Qualified PCATD's must functionally provide a training platform for at least the procedural aspects of flight relating to an integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum as outlined in the AC.

• The PCATD must be qualified and approved by FAA for use in an integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum under FAR Part 141.

Although the AC lists the specific requirements for qualifying a PCATD and under what circumstances the device may be used in training under both FAR Parts 61 and 141, two important requirements must be met to use an approved/qualified PCATD in an instrument training curriculum.
 
 

• An authorized instructor must present the instruction for its use to be credited towards meeting instrument certification requirements. This means the instructor must have the appropriate instrument instructor certificates. For example, a certificated flight instructor (CFI), airplane, single-engine land, (SEL), could not use a qualified PCATD to teach an instrument student instrument techniques and log that student's instructional time towards meeting an FAA instrument rating training requirement because the CFI is not an authorized instrument instructor (CFII) operating within the privileges and limitations of an instrument instructor.

• PCATD's that meet the requirements listed in AC 61-126 "...may be used in lieu of, and for not more than, 10 hours of time that ordinarily may be acquired in a flight simulator or flight training device authorized for use under Part 61 or Part 141."

It is important to note that the use of a PCATD in a training curriculum reduces hour for hour, up to the maximum of 10 hours authorized for use of a PCATD in a training program, the maximum hours approved for use of a flight simulator or a flight training device in an instrument training program under Part 61 or Part 141. For example, a maximum of 20 hours is authorized in an instrument training curriculum under Part 61, if a PCATD is used for 10 hours, then the remaining training device time is limited to 10 hours.
An FAA approved PCATD can only be used to teach those instrument training tasks listed in the AC. According to the AC, "These instrument tasks must be incorporated in an integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum."
The AC also lists the physical, display, and operating requirements for a manufacturer seeking FAA approval for a PCATD.

Everyone should note the FAA has not authorized the use of PCATD's for conducting practical tests nor for accomplishing recency of experience requirements.

For more information, interested parties should obtain a copy of AC 61-126 by writing the U.S. Department of Transportation, Subsequent Distribution Office, Ardmore East Business Center, 3341 Q 75th Ave., Landover, MD 20785.