Expanded Use of Aviation Training Devices Approved

Pilots will welcome a new rule, effective January 20, allowing increased use of aviation training devices (ATDs) for VFR and IFR aeronautical experience, visual and instrument training, and certification. The FAA, which had issued hundreds of letters of authorization permitting greater use of ATDs, said they are an “effective, safe, and affordable means of obtaining pilot experience.” One key change: pilots will be able to apply up to 20 hours of instrument time in an approved ATD toward an instrument rating or instrument currency. The current maximum is 10 hours.