The Flying Cyclones operate the flight simulator shown below. It is a CR-12 made by Precision Flight Controls and FAA approved as an Advanced Aircraft Training Device (AATD). It supports both single and multi engine airplanes and can be used for fun or actual flight training. It runs a commercial version of the X-Plane flight simulator software which is used by numerous companies and government agencies.
The simulator is available for any student to use free of charge. If you're a member of the flying club, speak to one of the club officers about access to the simulator. If you are not a member of the club, email us for more information.
Logging time on the simulator
Our flight sim is certified by the FAA to allow pilots, including student pilots, to log training time towards several different classes of pilot ratings (read the FAA certification letter for details). This is an easy way to reduce flight training costs and get more efficient training. If you are just interested in using the sim for fun or to practice on your own, there are no restrictions on use. But if you wish to log time, you must
have a certified instructor present teaching you. The FAA does not allow you to log time when using the sim by yourself or with anyone who is not a certified instructor. Fortunately, we do have instructors available and you can make arrangments with them to receive instruction.
This simulator was funded in part by the Student Government at Iowa State University and the software was donated by Laminar Research, makers of X-Plane.