In-aircraft vs simulator training: where each one wins
Neither is better for every pilot. A simulator can safely rehearse failures that should never be flown low in a real airplane, and insurers tend to prefer it at higher limits. In-aircraft training happens in your actual panel, at your airport, with no trip to a training center. Access delivers only the second kind, and this page says when to choose the first.
The rules every Access course runs under
Who we train
We do advanced instruction. Our customers already fly, or have access to an aircraft that requires initial and recurrent training. If you want your private pilot certificate, a flight school that does basic and primary instruction is the right place to start.
Who teaches, and under what rules
FAA-certificated CFIIs, under 14 CFR Part 61. Part 61 certifies pilots and instructors. Part 141 pilot schools and Part 142 training centers hold their own certificates and FAA-approved curricula, and those are the places to look if your policy names one.
Who decides on insurance
Each underwriter, for each pilot and aircraft. We submit syllabi and instructor credentials and work with brokers. If your underwriter requires a simulator, a simulator center is where that requirement gets met. Read how approval works.
Where type ratings fit
The King Air 300 and 350 require a type rating to act as pilot in command under 14 CFR 61.31(a). Our published courses are initial and recurrent training, so ask us how a course fits around your rating.
In-aircraft and simulator training, row by row
| In your own aircraft | Simulator center | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Your airport, anywhere in the US and Alaska, or ours. | The center's location. You travel. |
| Panel | Your exact panel and avionics, including modifications. | The center's device. Ask how closely it matches your airplane. |
| Failures | Limited by safety. The SOP keeps engines running, and simulated failures stay above the height it sets. | Engine failures at rotation, fires and multiple failures, flown to a conclusion. The stronger tool here. |
| Weather | Live ATC and actual weather, so flights can be delayed. | Any weather on demand, with no delay. |
| Your airplane | About 7 to 10 hours on your airframe, engines and fuel. | No hours on your airplane. |
| What you pay | Tuition, plus travel expenses when we come to you, plus your aircraft's operating cost. | Course price, plus your airfare, hotel and days away. |
| Time away | None if the instructor comes to you. Instruction runs 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, adjustable. | Travel plus the course days. |
| Underwriters | Decided case by case. Confirm with your broker first. | Generally preferred, more strongly at higher limits. See below. |
| Regulatory status | Part 61, FAA-certificated instructor. | Part 142 center with an FAA-approved curriculum, where it holds that certificate. |
What do insurers prefer?
We looked. We found no insurer's public statement accepting in-aircraft training in place of a simulator for an owner-flown turboprop, and public broker statements lean toward simulators. Broker Sunset Aviation Insurance wrote in July 2024 that insurers tend to prefer simulators at about $10 million of hull value and $50 million of liability limits, and that it is negotiable. BWI wrote in June 2026 that simulator training is often preferred or required for King Airs. Global Aerospace's Vista Elite dividend program requires a simulator-based course twice a year.
The first step is always your broker. The underwriters we have worked with are named on the insurance page.
When a simulator is the better choice
- Your underwriter requires it, or your limits are high enough that it will.
- You want to practice engine failures at rotation, fires and multiple failures to a conclusion.
- You need a type rating and want it in one event.
- You do not want to put hours on the airplane.
When your own aircraft is the better choice
- Your underwriter accepts it and you want to train at your own airport and procedures.
- Your panel has been upgraded or differs from the devices available to you.
- You want the instructor to see how you actually fly, service and manage your airplane.
- A week away from your business costs more than the flight hours do.
Frequently asked questions
Is in-aircraft training better than a simulator?
Neither is better for every pilot. A simulator is the safer place to practice low-altitude engine failures, fires and multiple failures. Your own aircraft gives you your actual panel, your airport and real conditions. Choose by what your underwriter requires and what you most need to practice.
Will my insurance accept in-aircraft training instead of a simulator?
It depends on your underwriter, your experience, your aircraft and your limits. Public broker statements lean toward simulators, especially at higher limits, and some treat it as negotiable. Ask your broker before booking anything. Here is a note you can send them.
Do you shut down an engine in flight during training?
No. At no point is an engine shut down during training, and no engine failure is simulated between rotation speed and 500 feet AGL.
Can you teach me to fly from zero?
No. We do advanced instruction for pilots who already fly, or who have access to an aircraft that requires initial and recurrent training. For a private pilot certificate, a flight school that does basic and primary instruction is the right place to start.
Is Access FAA-approved?
No, and in-aircraft Part 61 training is not something the FAA approves. Part 61 certifies pilots and flight instructors. Part 141 and Part 142 certify schools and training centers and approve their curricula. Access instructors are FAA-certificated CFIIs and training is conducted under Part 61.
Access Flight Training ServicesRevised 2026-11-05
