In training pilots in the simulators the artificial cockpit looked exactly like the real aircraft and it is amazing that when these pilots are put to the test it seems so real that you can see the sweat. This makes sense for teaching pilots, astronauts and truck drivers, however what about teaching kids in school in virtual reality?

Well, if you are taking a child and putting them into a flight simulator then you would need to use an abbreviated cockpit simulator to get started and then work them up to the other things. For instance it might make sense to only have an airspeed indicator, artificial horizon, turn and bank indicator and let them practice keeping the ball in the center using the stick and rudder.

Then later you might add more components, switches, gauges, etc. Perhaps you might cover up a few items and then pull off the cover panels and the skill progresses. This will allow the student to learn differently than the rigorous simulator check rides given to airline pilots or Astronauts where they try to make you crash and put you into almost unrecoverable situations you see?

You may not realize this but many schools across our country are thinking ahead and they indeed have simulators, virtual reality tools and various other computerized devices to teach kids and bring them up into the future, which awaits them. I have seen adults stress out in simulators and perhaps we need to work the kids up to it, before crashing them into a field or building like a really intoxicating arcade game.

There will be time for that later, but there is never too little time to learn the fundamentals. Consider this in 2006.