Transfer and Cost Effectiveness as Guides to Simulator/Flight Training Device Use

Abstract

As fuel prices climb and aircraft operating expenses follow suit, the training costs incurred by aviation students continue to rise. Responsible aviation programs must seek ways to provide safe and effective training while minimizing their students’ training costs. To accomplish this, many aviation programs utilize flight simulation of some form as a complement to training in the aircraft. Simulation can be offered at greatly reduced per hour costs when compared to the aircraft, and as studies have shown, provides positive transfer of training from the simulated environment to the aircraft. Positive transfer of training implies that students will benefit from training in the simulated environment. This is only the case when the transfer effectiveness ratio (TER) is above a given value. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate a method of evaluating the cost effectiveness of a training device by using the TER and the cost effectiveness ratio (CER.) By using these tools, the use of simulation will be of maximum benefit, i.e. reduced training costs, to aviation programs and their students.