In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare asked what's in a name. In aviation, it's a complicated question since we geek out on acronyms and technical jargon. Instrument currency regulations reference a couple different terms; none of them are a rose, but some are pretty sweet. A simulator is a full-scale replica of a specific aircraft that exists in a virtual world. A visual system, realistic control feedback, and motion combine to trick the mind. Four levels exist, A through D, with D being the highest and including features like windshear and blown tire replication. A complicated and ongoing evaluation process ensures each simulator's performance matches that of a real airplane. The data packages used to mimic the real plane can cost over a million dollars.
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