Aviation simulators can be extremely valuable to aviation students, potential students, and established pilots. In addition, flight simulators can simply be a lot of fun for anyone, even those who have no interest in ever becoming a pilot.

Simulation programs range in complexity and features from the basic, PC versions to full room, 360 degree, virtual reality simulators.

The most popular and full-featured PC flight simulator is the Microsoft Flight Simulator program. The program is generally marketed and purchased as a video game, but is a complete simulator that is used by pilot instructors, students and experienced pilots to learn and refresh skills. The professional edition of the simulator has more aircraft, tools and more extensive scenery than is found in the standard edition.

The flight area in this virtual arena covers virtually the entire world, with differing levels of difficulty and realism, and includes 20,000 airports. The Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and Microsoft Flight Simulator X are specifically aimed at current and prospective pilots and those who wish they were pilots. The simulator is widely appreciated because of the large number of upgrades and add-ons that allow such applications as air traffic control environments, historical aircraft and aircraft checklists.

Moving beyond consumer products, the flight simulator market branches out into a range of professional devices used for pilot training. Some flight simulators review one, or perhaps two, aircraft systems. These Part-Task Trainers (PTTs) offer repetitive review of systems and procedures pilots must master before moving on to the more complete systems.

Full-fledged simulators, known as Full Flight Simulators (FFS) duplicate most aspects of being in an airborne plane. They feature a full replica cockpit with full-size instruments and functional yoke. They are mounted on six-cylinder motion platforms that can simulate all six degrees of freedom - three linear movements and three rotations - that a plane in flight can experience. Those training in an FSS get in, buckle up, and carry out procedures just as they would in a real plane.

Also found in an FFS is a high definition visual display with a 360 degree view of the outside world, seen by the pilots in training. Visual displays can be programmed to show any airport or terrain in the world.

The advantage of an FFS is that a pilot and crew can experience virtual emergencies in nearly true to life circumstances without endangering a real plane or human life. So crews will experience engine failure, systems failure, loss of flight instruments, loss of cabin pressure, and so on in a carefully regulated simulated environment.

Between PC simulators and the FSS simulators, there are a variety of other simulators in hierarchical steps. From system trainers, the training advances to CPTs, or Cockpit Procedures Trainers. These trainers don't have the motion platform or the visual cues of the FSSs. They do provide exact replicas of the instrument panels, cockpit instruments, etc.

Higher level Flight Training Devices (FTDs) are just like mini simulators, some even featuring visual systems. However, they don't have a moving platform like the FFS does have.