U.S. Air Force AWACS crews to train in modern simulator.

The Air Force has a new 32,000-square-foot facility designed to train flight crews that operate E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

The facility includes two new AWACS operational flight trainers. Flight crews--consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer--can practice takeoffs, landings, aerial refueling and emergency procedures. The operational flight trainers provide a high-fidelity simulated cockpit, a six-degree-of-freedom motion system that replicates the aircraft's flight attitudes and out-the-window, computer generated imagery.

The flight simulator can replicate weather conditions, wind turbulence and even generate smoke in the cockpit.

The training facility is located at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

If the simulator passes the required tests, AWACS crew members will be able to receive some flight certifications without having to leave the ground.

"Civilian airline pilots can get certified in a simulator today, walk out to a plane tomorrow, and land it with a planeload of passengers," said Pat Donley, director of the E-3 simulation certification program. "You, as a passenger, would never know that it was your pilot's first time landing a real jet."

The AWACS flight simulator came online in June, replacing the wing's 1960s technology. The pilot, co-pilot, navigator and flight engineer can practice takeoffs, landings and emergency procedures with a full-motion system and computer-generated images.

"The simulator works just like a real plane, except it has a new-car smell," Donley said. "It can simulate night, day, turbulence and ice on the runway. We can even use graphic images that depict the areas to which AWACS crews deploy."

The simulators will nor fully replace actual flying training, since Air Force pilots also must practice tactical maneuvers and midair refueling, but simulator training saves maintenance and fuel costs.

"This will replace the need for flight crews to fly, and for the Air Force to maintain, TC-18 training aircraft that crews have had to fly before transitioning to the operation of an E-3 AWACS," said David Williams, vice president of training services for Link Training.

The company's $60 million facility houses two full-motion E-3 flight trainers and one E-3 flight-training device. Link Training is responsible for operating and maintaining...