ARINC SimSoftRptJan20

Simulator Software Release Exploratory Meeting Report. Meeting held January 21-22, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Committee (FSEMC) facilitated an exploratory meeting to discuss how the Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) industry manages software. 

The Simulator Software Release Exploratory Meeting was held January 21-22, 2020, hosted by Delta Air Lines. The impetus for the meeting was a result of a lengthy discussion at the 2019 FSEMC Conference, specifically during the Data and Simulation segment. The topic arose again during the Regulatory Panel as well. 

This report documents the discussions and decisions made at the Atlanta exploratory meeting, including: 

• Restatement of the current processes involving the major stakeholders: 
  • Airframe Manufacturers (OEM) 
  • Training Device Manufacturers (TDM) 
  • Airlines/Users/Operators 
  • Regulatory Authorities 
• Evaluating the impact of a software release to aircrew training, device readiness, and workload planning 
• Panel discussions of how each stakeholder has their own challenges and benefits from the current processes 
• Created technical teams in focus areas for opportunities for improvement 
• Documented the industry’s potential harmonization to assist each stakeholder in their successful operations 

The FSEMC Steering Committee will review this report and determine the best course of action to serve the FSTD industry’s constituents.