FSTDs (Flight Simulation Training Devices) are certified simulators — from FNPT trainers to full-flight simulators — that may replace defined amounts of aircraft time in approved courses. Each device is qualified to a level that determines exactly which training credits it can deliver.
Flight Simulation Training Devices are the certified simulator family: full-flight simulators (FFS, levels A–D) with motion and visuals at the top, flight training devices (FTD) and flight and navigation procedures trainers (FNPT I/II) in the middle, and basic instrument training devices (BITD) at the entry level. Each device is qualified to a standard that determines exactly which training credits it may deliver in approved courses.
The economics are the point: simulator hours cost a fraction of aircraft hours, fly in any weather, and pause mid-exercise for teaching — which is why instrument, procedures and multi-crew training migrated into devices wherever course approvals allow.
Why it matters for flight schools
An FSTD is a capex decision that pays back through credit utilisation: a device earning its approved credits across IR, CPL and MCC courses transforms course economics and weather resilience, while an underused device is expensive floor space. Scheduling the device like a revenue asset — not a spare room — is where the return is made.
How FlightLogger handles it
FlightLogger schedules FSTDs as bookable resources alongside aircraft, records sessions against syllabus credits, and shows device utilisation — so the simulator earns like the asset it is.
Frequently asked questions
How much simulator time counts toward a rating?
It depends on the device's qualification level and the course approval — instrument-rating courses in particular allow substantial FNPT II credit. The approval document, not the device brochure, defines the number.
What is the difference between an FNPT and a full-flight simulator?
Qualification depth: an FFS replicates a specific type with motion and certified fidelity for type-rating and recurrent training; an FNPT represents a class of aircraft for procedures and instrument training. Credits — and cost — scale accordingly.