On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 11:34 AM, Heiko Schulz <aeitsch...@yahoo.de> wrote:
> To be more clear:
> Quote from http://www.x-plane.com/pg_levels.html
>
> "In other words, the copy of X-Plane that can be purchased right here for
> under $50 has all the features required for FAA certification built in--you
> just have to buy USB keys (one per computer) to unlockthem all!
>
> Please note that using these keys makes X-Plane certifiable by the FAA; it
> does not automatically confer certified status. The FAA only certifies the
> combination of the hardware and the software used in a simulator, and users
> who want to certify their sim must do so through the FAA."
>
Ok, sounds like they've clarified their web page since I saw it. This
sounds reasonably fair, except they don't say what specific FAA
certification. I can fill in myself that it's probably "Advanced ATD", but
it would be helpful if they state that.
> Of course you still need some professional controlls, cockpits etc. to be
> fully FAA-certified at least.
>
> So does our last stable version 1.9.1 does have all features needed to be
> certifiable by the FAA ?
>
I think we are pretty close. A GPS might be one outstanding item, but Dave
Luff has done a tone of work on a KLN-89 emulator. It may very well be that
it is already far enough along to satisfy FAA requirement "Advanced ATD"
requirements, but I don't know for sure yet. I don't believe they require a
GPS that is certified for instrument approaches, however, that's something
that a lot of people want so it's a good thing to have.
Really? Let's pull the software pieces together and sell them for a cheaper
> price than X-Plane...
>
We we have the pieces, we have the price point. The problem is that
building an FAA certifyable simulator is still a *lot* of work!!! That's
why it often remains in the domain of for profit businesses because they
have access to the resources and funds to engineer and build enclosures,
physical flight controls, realistic instrument panels, do motion bases, wrap
around visual systems, and pull all the pieces together into a solid, easy
to use simulator that can be handed off to a non-technical person to use.
That's still a very hard and very time consuming process, even if all the
software components are ready to go. Ask anyone who's built a cockpit
themselves ... it's a ton of work. But it's a great hobby and if anyone is
thinking about trying, it will be a tremendous learning experience for you
and if you are successful at many of the tasks that are needed, you will
develop real, marketable skills.
Regards,
Curt.
--
Curtis Olson: http://baron.flightgear.org/~curt/
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