$65k Flight Simulator Draws Skepticism From Military Buyers.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 November 2000
• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.

A state-of-the-art flight simulator today costs, in general terms, several million dollars. Prices are driven by capabilities such as the fidelity of the graphics, the availability of motion-sensors, networking options and various other features.

The upshot is that not many government agencies, other than the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration, can afford to buy these simulators, says an industry executive, who recently built a PC-based helicopter flight simulator for $65,000.

"Most people outside the government cannot afford flight simulators. Most flight schools can't afford them," said Mike Coligny, chief executive officer of Flyit Simulators, in San Diego.

"We developed a simulator that the government typically would pay millions of dollars for, and ours cost $65,000. It's been on the market since late July," Coligny said in an interview. Naturally, he said, "people are questioning us, and what we have."

Coligny has been seeking to partner with other companies in the industry, to "try to figure out how to break through the barriers of...