By: Chris Kaufman

Flight simulation technology is a technique that utilizes computer simulation to mimic and replicate the flying process. Through software and hardware devices, it simulates pilots’ perceptual experiences, such as vision, hearing, and touch, when operating aircraft, as well as the motion, flight characteristics, and environmental conditions of the aircraft. This brings flying from the outdoors to computer screens, overcoming inconveniences caused by factors like time, location, weather, physical limitations, air traffic control regulations, high costs, and flight risks for participants, allowing them to experience training, entertainment, or testing similar to real flying anytime and anywhere.

In terms of practical applications, flight simulation plays a crucial role, mainly reflected in the following aspects: Safety (a safe environment for pilots to train without the risks and pressures of real flight, thereby reducing accidents and incidents); Economy (lower cost by eliminating real flight expenses such as aircraft fuel, crew fees, airport fees, maintenance and insurance); Efficiency (not constrained by weather, airport operating hours, and the like, training can be completed in a shorter time, quickly cultivating qualified pilots); Diversified training scenarios (simulation software can simulate various flight scenarios including complex weather conditions, mechanical failures, emergencies, and more, allowing pilots to improving their ability to respond); Reproducibility (allowing pilots to undergo repeated training and evaluation until they fully master the necessary skills and knowledge to meet relevant standards).

Captain Zonghong Chen of SkyWest Airlines doubles as a flight instructor and a senior technical consultant at a leading flight simulation company. With over 3000 flight hours, his remarkable journey has always been intertwined with flight simulation. Flying has been his dream since childhood, whether it’s winning airplane models or articles published in Aviation Knowledge magazine; these all represent his ideal pursuits. He had a passion for flight simulation since high school, buying a computer and other simple equipment despite modest family conditions and spending a considerable amount of time studying diligently. During university years, he had already mastered various aircraft flying skills. Flight simulation enabled him to acquire flying skills, emergency response, navigation and route planning, weather condition simulation, procedure and process training, etc., laying a solid foundation even before learning real flying. He received exceptional aviation education at Aerospace School University of North Dakota, Lewis University, and later served as a flight instructor at UND Aerospace and L3Harris Aviation Academy, where he was responsible for flight training tasks for the United States Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, as well as flight instructor roles for various airlines in China, Japan, and South Korea. He adjusted teaching methods for students from different countries and backgrounds, teaching flight principles, aircraft systems, and navigation knowledge and demonstrating excellent problem-solving abilities, ensuring a conducive learning environment. His experience in training deepened his understanding of flying, and through teaching, he not only guided students in learning flight skills but also significantly improved his own flying techniques and leadership skills, laying a solid foundation for his career. He has been recognized and praised by aviation schools in the United States, Japan, and China.

Currently, Captain Chen continues mentoring first officers, imparting his experience to help them make progress in flight skills and decision-making abilities and establish professional qualities. Thus, he has nurtured more outstanding pilots. The basic training in flight simulation and real flight have interchangeability, and flight simulation is a great way to conduct basic training in real flight. He has achieved outstanding results in both flight simulation and real flight. With over a decade of accumulation in the field of flight simulation, combined with experience and knowledge gained in real flight, he has achieved a perfect integration of the two, reflected in the innovation of flight simulation software and hardware. Addressing the conflicting issues of safety and efficiency in flight instruction, with years of accumulated experience in flight safety, he innovatively collaborated with multiple companies to develop a series of flight simulation software and hardware products, obtaining patents and computer software copyrights. Through technological innovation and application, his achievements have been applied in multiple airlines and flight schools, significantly improving training levels and safety standards. In 2023, his achievements helped flight schools reduce training costs by 15% while reducing the accident rate per ten thousand flight hours by 18%.

In addition to his daily flying, Captain Chen extends his research to the civilian flight simulation field. He is passionate about popularizing aviation culture among the general public, allowing more ordinary people to understand and participate in real flying. Particularly as a former aviation enthusiast who turned his dream into reality, perhaps no one can relate better than him. He has long been committed to helping flight simulation hardware and software manufacturers improve the realism of simulation devices, making them closer to real flight. Whether a flight simulation device feels “realistic” or not has always been an industrial challenge because engineers are often not pilots, while pilots often cannot become technical experts. However, he bridges these two fields perfectly. Not only does he apply his software patents to simulation devices, making the flight data reflected in the software closer to real flight and consistent with aerodynamic characteristics and aircraft systems’ real performance, but he also helps simulation software manufacturers design more reasonable courses, making it easier for users to learn basic aviation knowledge. In 2022, due to his outstanding achievements in popularizing aviation culture, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA China) appointed him as a member of the expert group. He and his technology have also received widespread praise in the American and European flight simulation markets, and the companies he collaborated with have launched high-quality flight simulation equipment and achieved remarkable sales performance. In 2024, at the Flightsim Expo held in Las Vegas, Captain Chen will participate as a member of the expert panel, and everyone eagerly anticipates the new equipment and technology they will bring to further innovate flight simulation.

“Flight simulation technology has broad application prospects in the field of real flight and can play an important role in flight training, aircraft design and testing and maintenance, bringing tremendous driving force for the development and progress of the aviation field. I will continue to delve into this field, using accumulated flight experience and innovative technological research to empower flight training.” Captain Zonghong Chen stated in an interview. As a flight instructor and commercial airline captain, he will apply his rich real-world flight experience and profound aviation knowledge to flight simulation, further innovate in software and hardware, and make his contribution to flight training and flight simulation entertainment.

Published by: Martin De Juan