What is the difference between a BATD and an AATD for flight training?

A Basic ATD (BATD) and Advanced ATD (AATD) are both FAA-approved Aviation Training Devices used in general aviation flight schools, but they differ in fidelity. An AATD provides a higher-fidelity cockpit environment — including more realistic avionics and systems — than a BATD. Under 14 CFR 61.65, both types may be credited toward instrument-rating aeronautical experience up to a combined maximum of 10 hours. Both must be specifically approved by the FAA Flight Standards division; a retail PC flight simulator does not qualify as either unless it carries that specific FAA approval.

How many hours in an aviation training device can count toward an instrument rating?

Under 14 CFR 61.65, a student may credit up to 10 hours of instrument time logged in an FAA-approved ATD (BATD or AATD, or a combination of the two) toward the aeronautical experience requirements for the instrument rating. Hours logged beyond that regulatory ceiling do not generate additional certificate credit. An FTD that represents an airplane category may also allow credit toward the rating, but that FTD allowance is a separate, device-specific provision rather than simply part of the 10-hour ATD total.

Can e-learning or computer-based training replace required flight hours for a pilot certificate?

No — e-learning and computer-based training (CBT) can only satisfy ground training requirements, not the flight hours mandated by 14 CFR Part 61 or Part 141. Under Part 61, an authorized instructor may credit a completed CBT course toward the ground training endorsement required before a knowledge test; under Part 141, a CBT module may be incorporated into an approved training course outline to meet ground training minimums. The Aviation Instructor's Handbook notes that e-learning is a valuable supplement for self-paced study and immediate feedback, but it cannot substitute for the aeronautical experience that must be logged in an aircraft or qualified simulator.

Computer-Based Aviation Training Devices and E-Learning

Modern flight training has moved far beyond the chalkboard and paper syllabus. Computer-based aviation training devices (ATDs), flight training devices (FTDs), full flight simulators (FFS), and e-learning platforms are now integral parts of certificated training programs at schools ranging from single-CFI Part 61 operations to large Part 141 academies. For any instructor candidate preparing for the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) or Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) knowledge test — and for anyone seeking to build genuinely effective lesson plans — understanding what these tools are, what the FAA permits, and where their limitations lie is not optional background knowledge. It is core curriculum.

The FAA's Simulation Hierarchy

The FAA categorizes simulation hardware along a clearly defined spectrum of fidelity and regulatory approval. Understanding where each device sits in that hierarchy determines how training time may be logged and what certificate or rating requirements it can satisfy.

Full Flight Simulators (FFS)

At the top of the hierarchy sit Full Flight Simulators. An FFS replicates a specific make, model, and series of aircraft with a full-motion platform, a realistic visual scene, and systems fidelity close enough that airline carriers use them for type-rating training and checking. FFS devices are qualified under 14 CFR Part 60, which sets qualification standards, sponsor obligations, and National Simulator Program (NSP) oversight requirements. Because an FFS is tied to a specific aircraft, the flight time logged in one can often replace actual aircraft time for recency and rating purposes, subject to the specific rule section involved.

Flight Training Devices (FTDs)

Flight Training Devices reproduce cockpit instrument and systems environments without mandating a motion platform or an out-the-window visual scene at lower qualification levels. Like the FFS, FTDs are governed by 14 CFR Part 60 and are assigned qualification levels (Level 4 through Level 7 for fixed-wing). The higher the level, the more systems and procedural fidelity the device must demonstrate. Airlines and instrument training programs rely heavily on FTDs for procedures practice, systems knowledge, and instrument proficiency events.

Aviation Training Devices (ATDs)

Aviation Training Devices are the most accessible category for general aviation flight schools. The FAA Flight Standards division approves two sub-types: the Basic ATD (BATD) and the Advanced ATD (AATD). An AATD provides a higher-fidelity cockpit environment — including rudder pedals, realistic avionics representations, and more complete systems simulation — than a BATD. Critically, approval is device-specific: a consumer-grade PC flight simulator sold in a retail store is not an ATD unless the FAA has specifically approved that unit. Instructors must verify FAA approval documentation before logging any student time in a device.

What Time Can Be Logged — The Numbers That Matter

The loggable-hour rules for ATDs are found in 14 CFR Part 61 and differ by certificate level and device type. For the instrument rating under 14 CFR 61.65, a pilot may credit up to 10 hours in a BATD or AATD (or a combination of the two) toward the aeronautical experience requirements for the instrument rating; an FTD that represents an airplane category may also allow credit under its own device-specific allowance, which is separate from the ATD combined limit. For instrument currency under 14 CFR 61.57(c), a pilot may use an ATD or FTD to accomplish the required instrument approach, holding, and tracking tasks — providing an important option when actual or simulated IMC in an aircraft is unavailable or costly. For the private pilot certificate under Part 61, ATD time may be credited, but the specific limits depend on the certificate sought and should always be verified against the current regulation because the FAA has updated these ceilings over time.

One principle that applies universally: ATD time is capped, and hours beyond the regulatory ceiling do not generate additional credit. A student who logs 15 hours in an AATD toward an instrument rating still receives credit for only the allowable maximum. Logging excess hours does not hurt the student, but the misunderstanding that it generates additional credit is a common — and testable — error.

E-Learning: What It Is and What It Can Do

E-learning, also called computer-based training (CBT), encompasses structured learning delivered through online courses, interactive software modules, video presentations, and adaptive quiz platforms. The Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9) identifies e-learning as a valuable instructional supplement, noting that it promotes self-paced study, provides immediate feedback, allows students to replay complex concepts as many times as needed, and can reach learners across geographic boundaries. These characteristics align well with adult learning principles — specifically the idea that learners benefit from controlling the pace and sequence of new information.

Under Part 141, an FAA-approved training course outline (TCO) may incorporate CBT as a ground training element, crediting completion of specific modules toward ground training hour requirements. Under Part 61, an authorized instructor may credit an e-learning course toward the ground training required before a knowledge test, provided the instructor endorses the student as having completed the appropriate ground training. In either case, the fundamental boundary is clear: e-learning satisfies ground training requirements only. It cannot replace the flight hours mandated by 14 CFR Part 61 or Part 141, and it does not substitute for the aeronautical experience that must be logged with an authorized instructor in an aircraft or qualified simulator.

Transfer of Learning: The Instructor's Central Concern

The Aviation Instructor's Handbook makes transfer of learning one of the central concepts in simulator-based instruction. Positive transfer occurs when skills or habits developed in the device carry over correctly and improve performance in the actual aircraft — the entire pedagogical purpose of the device. Negative transfer occurs when the device's behavior differs meaningfully from the real aircraft and the student internalizes the wrong response. For example, if an ATD's stall characteristics or rudder forces diverge significantly from the aircraft the student will fly, practicing those maneuvers could build incorrect muscle memory or expectation sets that degrade real-aircraft performance.

This is why the Aviation Instructor's Handbook stresses that instructors — not the device — are responsible for ensuring simulation-based training produces habits that transfer positively. An instructor must know the fidelity boundaries of the device being used, brief students on those differences, and structure exercises so the transferable skills (cockpit flows, instrument scan, decision-making) are emphasized rather than device-specific compensatory behaviors.

Key Numbers and Rules

14 CFR Part 60 governs FFS and FTD qualification; 14 CFR Part 61 governs how time logged in each device type counts toward certificates and ratings.
For the instrument rating, up to 10 hours combined in a BATD or AATD may be credited under 14 CFR 61.65; FTD credit is a separate, device-specific allowance under its own rule section.
ATDs must carry specific FAA Flight Standards approval — consumer simulators do not qualify automatically.
E-learning can satisfy ground training requirements under Part 61 (with an instructor endorsement) or Part 141 (within an approved TCO), but cannot replace required flight hours.
Negative transfer of learning is the primary instructional hazard when a device's behavior deviates from the real aircraft.

Common Test Traps

All simulators are not equal. Test questions distinguish between FFS, FTD, BATD, and AATD. Know that higher-tier devices permit more loggable time and broader approval for certificate requirements.
ATD hour ceilings are firm. Logging extra ATD hours above the regulatory limit does not generate bonus credit — a popular distractor on knowledge test questions.
E-learning is ground training, not flight training. An online course that satisfies ground knowledge requirements cannot substitute for or count toward the flight hours mandated by Part 61 or Part 141.
Negative transfer, not lack of practice, is the simulator's unique hazard. Questions on the FOI knowledge test may ask why instructors must evaluate a device's fidelity before using it; the correct reasoning involves avoiding negative transfer, not simply arguing that simulation lacks value.
Part 60 vs. Part 61 confusion. Part 60 defines what a device is; Part 61 defines how the time in that device counts. These are separate regulatory frameworks with separate purposes.