Simulator Time Credit: What the FAA Lets You Log in 2026

The FAA does credit simulator time, but only within strict limits that change by certificate and by device. Under 14 CFR Part 61, the instrument rating is where the credit is most valuable: up to 20 hours in a full flight simulator or flight training device, or up to 30 hours when the training is completed under Part 142. A basic or advanced aviation training device counts for less, and every hour must be observed and logged by an authorized instructor on a device the FAA has actually approved. This guide explains how to work within those limits so that no hour is rejected at your checkride.

TL;DR

• Simulator credit depends on three things: the device category (BATD, AATD, FTD or FFS), the certificate or rating you are pursuing, and whether the training happens under Part 61, Part 141 or Part 142.
• For the instrument rating, the regulation caps FFS/FTD credit at 20 hours (30 under Part 142), BATD credit at 10 hours and AATD credit at 20 hours.
• The device needs a valid FAA approval, and an authorized flight instructor (CFI) must observe the session and sign your logbook. A ground instructor cannot do this.
• Simulator time never replaces the practical test itself or the flight portion of a flight review.
• Match the device to the credit you need before you book, not the week before your checkride.

Table of Contents

• How the FAA Thinks About Simulator Time
• Credit by Certificate and Rating
• What Makes a Device Count
• Simulator Time and Instrument Currency
• Why Simulators Are Worth Using Even Beyond the Credit
• Our Perspective on Simulator Time
• Planning Your Training Around Simulator Credit
• Common Mistakes That Cost Hours
• FAQ
• Sources

How the FAA Thinks About Simulator Time

The FAA does not treat “simulator time” as a single category. Regulation recognizes two broad families of devices, and the credit you can claim differs between them.

The first family is the qualified simulation hardware: the full flight simulator (FFS) and the flight training device (FTD), evaluated and qualified under 14 CFR Part 60. The second is the aviation training device (ATD), the desktop and enclosed-cockpit units most flight schools use for early instrument work. ATDs are approved in two tiers, basic (BATD) and advanced (AATD), under Advisory Circular 61-136A.

The operating principle is in 14 CFR 61.64: if an applicant uses a simulator or training device for any portion of the training, the device must be used in a way the regulation allows, and the time must be logged accordingly. A device without the right approval produces hours the examiner will not count, however realistic the session felt.

The four device types in plain terms

The common misconception, and the costly one, is that all simulator time is equal. It is not. Each category carries its own credit ceiling, and a student who logs hours in a device that does not match the credit they need can be forced into extra airplane hours just before the checkride to reach the FAA minimums.

Credit by Certificate and Rating

The numbers differ for each certificate. Here is where simulator time matters most for a career-track student.

Private pilot

The private pilot rules allow only a small amount of device time toward the minimum aeronautical experience, set out in 14 CFR 61.109. In practice, the private pilot certificate is built in the airplane: pattern work, stalls, slow flight, landings and the cross-country requirements all need real flight. Simulators help most here as a rehearsal tool, building procedural fluency before you pay for an hour of aircraft time, rather than as a source of regulatory credit. If you are starting from zero, our private pilot certificate guide walks through what the whole path requires.

Instrument rating

This is the big one. The instrument rating requires 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time, including 15 hours received from an authorized instructor with an instrument-airplane rating. Within that, the regulation allows:

• FFS or FTD: a maximum of 20 hours, or a maximum of 30 hours if the instrument time was completed in accordance with Part 142.
• BATD: a maximum of 10 hours.
• AATD: a maximum of 20 hours.

The ATD allowances apply only if the device is approved and authorized by the FAA and an authorized instructor provides the training. We cover the Part 142 route in detail in our article on instrument simulator hours under Part 142.

A practical way to think about it: the caps are ceilings, not targets. Simulator hours are cheaper per hour than aircraft hours, but you still need real instrument flying, including the long cross-country with its approaches, which you can read about in our instrument cross-country rules article.

Commercial pilot

Commercial training under Part 141 builds device time into the approved syllabus, and the school’s training course outline governs how much of it counts. That is one reason the school’s approval status matters when you compare programs: credit that is legitimate inside one approved syllabus may not be available in a different structure. Our commercial pilot course guide explains how the pieces fit.

Airline Transport Pilot

The ATP certificate is built around 1,500 hours of total flight time, and 14 CFR 61.159 places limits on how much of that may come from simulation. Because the cap depends on how and where the training is conducted, read the current text of the regulation for your situation rather than relying on a rule of thumb. Our article on the 1,500 hour rule lays out how students plan around it.

What Makes a Device Count

Hours only count when five conditions line up. Treat this as a checklist before every session.

1. The device is approved. The FAA publishes a list of approved aviation training devices, and each approval is documented in a Letter of Authorization (LOA). The list used here is dated July 15, 2026.
2. The LOA is current. ATD approvals run for a defined period, and the FAA document notes a 60-month validity. Ask the school to show you the LOA for the exact make and model you will use.
3. The device suits the task. An approved device is only authorized for the maneuvers and procedures listed in its approval and in AC 61-136A.
4. A CFI observes. Only an authorized flight instructor can observe and endorse simulator time for credit. An FAA legal interpretation addresses who must be present when a pilot logs simulator time for instrument currency. Ground instructors may use devices as teaching aids, but their sessions do not count toward aeronautical experience.
5. The logbook entry is complete. Record the device type, the date, the time, the content of the training, and have your instructor sign it.

What simulator time can and cannot do

Simulator time can be logged as total time, instrument time and instruction received, within the rules above. It cannot stand in for the flight portion of a flight review, and it cannot replace any practical test itself. ATDs are also not authorized for aircraft type-specific training or for meeting Part 121 or Part 135 training program requirements, as the FAA ATD list notes. Our logging guide for student pilots shows what a correct entry looks like, and our piece on simulator training and logging pilot hours goes deeper on the categories.

Simulator Time and Instrument Currency

Credit toward a rating is one matter; keeping your instrument privileges current is another. Under 14 CFR 61.57©, a pilot can use an approved device to meet part of the recency requirements, but the session must be observed by an authorized instructor who verifies the time and content in your logbook. The device must be an FAA-approved ATD or better. If you rely on an ATD alone, the specific tasks and maneuvers must be performed within the two months preceding the point at which you need to be current, as described in AC 61-136A.

A simulator session is useful here because you can fly holds, intercepts and approaches back to back, without waiting for weather or an available approach slot. For a full explanation of the six-month cycle and the alternatives, see our IFR currency requirements article. If you train in the field, our guide to instrument approach practice in Florida explains how students log six approaches for currency.

Why Simulators Are Worth Using Even Beyond the Credit

Credit is only part of the value. The benefits of simulator-based pilot training include repetition of complex procedures and emergencies in an environment where mistakes carry no risk, which is difficult to arrange in a real airplane.

Research on simulation in a neighboring field supports the same pattern. A 2024 review of simulation-based training in medical education identifies immediate feedback and structured debriefing as key components of effective simulation. It is medical research, not aviation research, so treat it as supporting evidence about how people learn, not as an FAA finding. The takeaway for a student pilot is practical: a session with a clear objective and a proper debrief produces more than an hour of unguided wandering.

Here is how that looks in a good training block:

• Set one objective before the session, such as an ILS to minimums with a missed approach.
• Fly it, then pause and debrief with your instructor while the details are fresh.
• Repeat the same task until the procedure is automatic, so your attention is free for aircraft handling in the real airplane.

Our Perspective on Simulator Time

We see the same mistake from new students again and again: they treat simulator hours as a discount and the airplane as the expensive part to be minimized. We would frame it differently. In an accelerated program, every hour must either build a skill or satisfy a requirement, and the strongest simulator sessions do both.

That is why we plan device time against the syllabus before the first lesson. Our programs are approved under FAA Part 141, and we are structured around finishing the commercial path in as little as 111 hours of flight training, so there is little room for hours that turn out not to count. We also hold Self Examining Authority, which lets us conduct FAA checkrides in-house, so the question of whether your time is properly logged gets answered long before the practical test, not at it.

Our advice is simple. Ask for the LOA, ask which credit each session earns, and ask your CFI to explain the entry before signing it. A school that answers those questions easily is one that runs its training with discipline.

— Rainer

Planning Your Training Around Simulator Credit

If you are choosing a school or a program, put these questions to every one you consider:

1. Which devices will I train in, and can I see each device’s current LOA?
2. How many hours of each rating are planned in a device, and under which part (61, 141 or 142)?
3. Who is the instructor observing my sessions, and are they an authorized CFI?
4. How is simulator time reflected in the fixed price or the hourly estimate, so there are no surprises later?

The last question matters because cost control is the main reason many students use simulators in the first place. Our flight training cost breakdown shows how the pieces add up, and our comparison of accelerated and traditional training explains why syllabus structure affects total hours.

For students aiming at the airlines, we offer two published structures. The Fixed-Price Airline Flight School Program is priced at $85,900 as a one-off payment, and the U.S. Airline Pilot Career Program is priced at $49,950 as a one-off payment. Other courses, including private, instrument and multi-engine training, are listed on our pilot training courses page, and we also support international students with M1 visa enrollment. If you would like to see how simulator and aircraft time are planned in one syllabus, contact us through our main site.

Common Mistakes That Cost Hours

• Logging time with an uncredentialed supervisor. A ground instructor or a friend cannot sign off simulator time for credit.
• Assuming a school’s simulator is automatically approved. Some devices are used purely as teaching aids. Ask for the LOA.
• Exceeding the cap. Hours above the regulatory ceiling are still useful practice, but they do not reduce the airplane time you owe.
• Mixing up the pools. For the instrument rating, the FFS/FTD allowance and the ATD allowances are not simply additive, so confirm the combined limit with your instructor before banking hours.
• Waiting until the end. Discovering a shortfall right before a checkride means unscheduled flight hours at the worst possible moment.

FAQ

Can I log simulator time as pilot in command?

It depends on the context, and the answer is rarely straightforward for a student. Our guide on logging PIC time covers the rules. As a rule, whatever you log must follow the logging provisions of Part 61, and the session must meet the device and instructor requirements described above.

Can I use a simulator for my checkride?

No. Simulator time cannot be used for the practical test itself, nor for the flight portion of a flight review. Training in a device can prepare you, but the checkride is conducted in the aircraft. Our checkride guide explains the format.

Does a ground instructor’s simulator session count?

No. Only an authorized flight instructor can observe and endorse simulator time for FAA credit. A ground instructor can use the device to teach, but that time does not count toward aeronautical experience.

How do I know my simulator is approved?

Ask for the Letter of Authorization for the specific device, and check the make and model against the FAA’s published list of approved ATDs. The LOA must be current, and the device must be approved for the tasks you intend to log.

Sources

• 14 CFR 61.64, Use of a flight simulator and flight training device (eCFR)
• 14 CFR 61.65, Instrument rating requirements (eCFR)
• 14 CFR Part 60, Flight Simulation Training Device qualification (eCFR)
• FAA Advisory Circular 61-136A
• FAA Approved Aviation Training Devices list
• FAA legal interpretation on simulator use for instrument currency
• 14 CFR 61.159, Airplane category ATP aeronautical experience
• The impact of simulation-based training in medical education: A review
• Producing competent and confident pilots at your flight school

Recommended

• Instrument Simulator Hours: Part 142 Allows Up to 30
• Flight Simulator Training: The #1 Ultimate Guide to Logging Pilot Hours
• Flight Simulator Training Benefits: Reshaping Pilot Skill in 2026
• How to Log Flight Hours – The #1 Ultimate Guide for Student Pilots