The training industry uses a wide range of training equipment from full flight simulators (FFS), maintenance trainers (MT), and flat panel trainers (FPT) to computer based training (CBT) and door/cabin trainers. These training devices are commonly referred to as Synthetic Training Devices (STD). It is vitally important to all airlines and third party training companies that utilize such STDs that these devices be available and fully functional in order to fulfill the training mission. An important tool for meeting this goal is through the use of metrics.

Metrics can be defined as a system of parameters or ways of quantitative and periodic assessment of a process that is to be measured, along with the procedures to carry out such measurement and the procedures for the interpretation of the assessment in light of previous comparable assessments. This document is intended as a guide on how to apply metrics and correspondingly measure STD quality. It is hoped that the guidelines set forth in this document will allow STD operators, manufacturers, suppliers, and other related businesses to more clearly communicate requirements and assess synthetic training device performance throughout its life cycle.

Essential questions that lead to establishing measures for STD quality are:

•Is the STD meeting your operational needs?

•Are our customers satisfied?

•How do we know when the STD quality is degrading?

•How can we utilize engineering and maintenance efforts on the STD to better meet the training needs (i.e. improve quality)?

•To what capacity is the STD being utilized?

This document is intended as a guide on how to provide metrics for a quality plan.