The global market for Commercial and Military Flight Simulation is projected to reach US$6.1 billion by 2025 trailing a 3.9% CAGR which is driven by the need to curb rising costs of pilot training by replacing traditional techniques with low cost virtual training methods; continuous technological developments, launch of new generation aircraft and the parallel need to retrain pilots on drivability control and operation. Aging airline workforce and intensifies pilot shortages over the long-term period will have the industry scrambling for skilled pilots. The market will benefit from the increase in pilot training institutes, and focus on reducing time-to-train of training programs. Key benefits of offered by flight simulation systems driving their adoption include reduced training costs and high effectiveness; superior practice training for risky situations; reduced carbon footprint associated with live flight training; freedom to learn from mistakes without the risk element; rise of VR & AR technologies that offer unrivalled realism; and ability to learn more in less time. Other major trends influencing growth include commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles and airplanes; growing demand for UAVs in combat environment and the ensuing increased investments in advanced UAV operator simulation and training systems; stringent safety regulations and the ensuing increased reliance on flight simulators to achieve cost effective compliance.

Flight simulation plays a crucial role in developing and training modern aircraft. At the design stage, flight simulators facilitate optimization of ergonomic features of the man-machine system by offering various alternatives of the user-friendly object dynamics, controlling mechanism features, and data display highlights. When an aircraft is all set for its first flight, flight simulation is used for enhancing its operational efficiency and safety. Flight Simulation has evolved into an established technique that offers a true and vibrant demonstration of the behavior of an aircraft, while facilitating one or more operators, normally pilots, to interact with the simulation. Virtual reality, used for flight simulation, ensures real-time experience through 3D sound systems, high-degree of realism, and color environment. The objective of flight simulation is to provide the user of the system a visual feeling of being in an aircraft. The core of flight simulation lies in the creation of illusion, offering the pilot a real-life experience. The fidelity of the created illusion decides the limit for what can and cannot be achieved in terms of read-across to the realism. In short, fidelity decides the suitability of a simulator. Simulator extends a low cost training alternative for pilot training programs that entails extremely low risk, when compared to training involving actual aircraft. Since the need for actual aircraft becomes invalid with simulator-based training, the costs involved in aircraft-based training in the field such as purchase of expensive training aircraft and associated fuel and maintenance costs become invalid. Furthermore, the risks involved in field training such as aircraft crash and related events such as loss of life and property, also become irrelevant with simulator-based training.

Based on type, the market for Commercial and Military Flight Simulation is segmented by Flight Training Devices (FTD), Flight Mission Simulators (FMS), Fixed Base Simulators (FBS), and Full Flight Simulators (FFS). By solution, the market is categorized into Products and Services, and by Platform, the market segment analyzed are - military and commercial. Flight Training Devices (FTDs) constitute the major segment within the Commercial and Military Flight Simulation solutions market. FTD segment basically consists of cockpit trainers, covered in part. A FTD is a less complex simulator than a Full Flight Simulator. FTDs replicate the actual cockpit, but do not have visual simulation systems or motion systems. These devices offer a cost-effective way of familiarizing pilots with a cockpit. FTDs have emerged as an effective way to reduce aircrew training costs. FTDs are being used in several training activities, militaries, airlines, and flight training academies to improve the performance of efficiency of flight simulators. In the recent years, the commercial and military flight simulation market witnessed a significant rise in number of partnership programs and joint ventures among market participants. With several training centers, airlines operators and military aircraft training schools across the globe working on advanced simulation platforms, companies are focusing on joint ventures to share technological know-how in order to save cost. Companies are striving to develop collaborative projects in an attempt to reduce R&D time, which is of critical importance in building military simulation platforms.