FSTD qualification levels explained: FFS, FTD, and ATD

FSTD qualification levels is the topic of this guide. A flight simulation training device (FSTD) is any ground-based device used to train and evaluate pilots. The FAA qualifies FSTDs at defined fidelity levels under 14 CFR Part 60, and the level determines how much training and checking credit the device earns. Here is how the categories and levels work.

What an FSTD is

FSTD is the umbrella term for ground-based training devices. The FAA evaluates each device against Qualification Performance Standards (QPS), assigns it a qualification level, then re-evaluates it on a recurring basis to keep that qualification current.

The two FSTD categories under Part 60 are full flight simulators (FFS) and flight training devices (FTD). Aviation training devices (ATD) are a related, lower-fidelity category approved under a separate letter of authorization.

Full Flight Simulators (FFS): Levels A-D

A full flight simulator replicates a specific aircraft type with a motion system, a visual system, and a full enclosed flight deck. FFS devices are qualified at Levels A, B, C, and D, in increasing fidelity.

Level D is the highest fidelity and supports zero-flight-time training — a pilot can earn a type rating entirely in a Level D simulator. Part 142 training centers rely heavily on Level C and D simulators for type ratings and recurrent training.

• Level A / B — motion and visual, lower fidelity
• Level C — high fidelity, used for most type ratings
• Level D — highest fidelity, supports zero-flight-time type ratings

Flight Training Devices (FTD): Levels 4-7

A flight training device replicates aircraft systems and instruments but does not require a motion platform. FTDs are qualified at Levels 4 through 7, with higher numbers indicating greater fidelity and broader training credit.

FTDs are commonly used for procedures training, instrument work, and systems familiarization, where a full motion simulator is not required.

Aviation Training Devices (ATD): Basic and Advanced

Aviation training devices are lower-cost, lower-fidelity devices approved by the FAA under a letter of authorization. They come in two types: Basic (BATD) and Advanced (AATD).

ATDs can be used for a defined amount of instrument experience and training credit, which makes them common at Part 61 and Part 141 flight schools for early instrument training.

Why the qualification level matters

The qualification level decides what training and checking can legally be credited on the device — and therefore what a training center can sell and schedule. Booking a maneuver onto a device that is not qualified for it is a compliance problem, not just a scheduling one.

That is why scheduling software for training centers has to be qualification-aware: it should know each device's category and level and prevent training from being booked onto a device that is not qualified for it. AviationAlley builds that awareness into Part 142 scheduling.

How a device earns and keeps its qualification

A qualification level is not granted once and forgotten. Under Part 60, the sponsor first puts the device through an initial evaluation against the applicable Qualification Performance Standards, combining objective tests, which compare device performance to reference aircraft data, with subjective tests flown by an evaluator. Passing assigns the level.

The qualification is then maintained through recurring continuing-qualification evaluations and the sponsor's own quality program, including a master qualification test guide and routine functional checks. Hardware or software changes can trigger a re-evaluation, and a device that falls out of standard can have its qualification downgraded or suspended until corrected. ATDs follow a parallel but lighter path: the LOA is issued for a defined period and must be renewed, and any modification can require re-approval.

For a training operation, the operational takeaway is that a level is a living status with an expiration and conditions attached. Scheduling, billing, and training-record systems should treat the qualification date and scope as live data, so a lapsed evaluation or an expired LOA surfaces before a session is booked rather than during an audit. AviationAlley, which is pre-launch and opening to a founding cohort of FAA training centers, is built so device qualification status is part of how scheduling works rather than a separate spreadsheet.

Step-by-step

1. Identify the device category and class. Determine whether the device is a full flight simulator or flight training device qualified under Part 60, or an aviation training device approved under 14 CFR 61.4(c). The approval path differs, so this decides which document governs its use.
2. Read the qualification level or LOA. For an FFS, confirm Level A-D; for an FTD, confirm Level 4-7; for an ATD, pull the letter of authorization and read it in full. The level or LOA, not the device name, defines what is legally creditable.
3. Match each syllabus task to what the device is qualified for. Map every maneuver, approach, and checking event to a device whose level or LOA authorizes it. A zero-flight-time task needs a higher FFS level; a systems lesson can sit on a lower FTD; instrument credit must respect the part 61 hour caps.
4. Log the device identification and instructor details. Record the device type and identification as required when logging the time, along with the authorized instructor where the regulation requires one, so the entry holds up against the part 61 logging requirements.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an FFS and an FTD?

A full flight simulator (FFS) has a motion system and a full replicated flight deck and is qualified at Levels A-D. A flight training device (FTD) replicates systems and instruments without a motion platform and is qualified at Levels 4-7.

Can you get a type rating in a simulator?

Yes. A Level D full flight simulator supports zero-flight-time training, meaning a type rating can be earned entirely in the simulator without flying the actual aircraft first.

What regulation governs FSTD qualification?

FSTDs are qualified under 14 CFR Part 60, against the FAA Qualification Performance Standards (QPS), with recurring evaluations to keep the qualification current.