Transfer of manual flying skills from PC-based simulation to actual flight - Comparison of in-flight measured data and instructor ratings

Three groups of novice pilots received training to fly acrobatic maneuvers in a light aircraft. Trainees in the control group received in-flight instruction and were given the usual briefings before each flight. Trainees in the 2 experimental groups received extra training: Each in-flight lesson was preceded by PC-based simulated flight. A total of 2,053 maneuvers were analyzed on the basis of both flight-data recordings and instructor ratings. I hypothesized that complex manual flying skills, learned on the ground, transfer to the aircraft. The results provide no objective support for this hypothesis. There were no significant differences in flying skills between the three groups as measured by the flight-data recordings. However, both experimental (PC) groups managed to fly significantly more maneuvers in the same amount of flight time in the aircraft and received better instructor ratings. I analyze these differences in detail. In the discussion, I compare the findings with published transfer experiments with PC-based simulation.