Training the Next Generation of Flight Simulator Technicians and Engineers
- samaustin47
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
Your simulator still running like it did in 1998, but your lead flight simulator training technician is getting ready to retire...
If that hits a little too close to home, you’re not alone. Many training centres across the globe are facing the same quiet challenge: the people who know how to keep aging simulators working are starting to leave the industry, and no one is ready to take their place.
At Simutech Solutions, we’ve spoken with dozens of operators, from major airlines to smaller training organisations and defence operators, who all say the same thing: “We’re struggling to find the next generation of technicians and engineers.”
The Quiet Backbone of Flight Simulator Training
Let’s get one thing straight; simulator technicians and engineers don’t just keep machines running. They keep pilot training moving, regulatory standards intact, and operational downtime to a minimum. Yet this essential role is often misunderstood, under-recruited, and lacking clear career pathways.
That’s a lot to expect from someone who might never have even heard of the job before.
Technicians and engineers don’t just swap out a part when it breaks. They analyse faults across software, hardware, mechanical systems, and electrical layers, sometimes all at once. They read signal paths, debug network issues, tune motion platforms, calibrate visuals, and verify that the simulator meets strict qualification criteria. And they do it under pressure. That’s a lot to expect from someone who might never have even heard of the job before.
The Industry's Talent Time Bomb
Let’s look at the numbers. The average age of simulator technicians and engineers today is over 50. Many started their careers when cathode ray tubes were still considered cutting-edge.
In the next 5 to 10 years, a wave of highly experienced sim techs and engineers will retire. And in most organisations, they’re taking their knowledge with them. What’s worse is, most operators haven't planned for this critical eventuality, and likely won't until it’s too late to effectively mitigate the risks.
Unlike aircraft maintenance, simulator technical work is not well covered in vocational or engineering schools. There are very few formal qualifications. Most technicians learn the job through years of hands-on experience and informal mentoring, a system that breaks the moment the last expert leaves.
This is the talent gap. And unless we fix it, your simulator is only one staff departure away from being potentially grounded for a significant period of time.
Not Just a Simple Staffing Problem
Think about the cost of simulator downtime. It’s not just the money lost in cancelled training sessions. It’s the ripple effect: pilots unable to complete checks, airlines rescheduling flights, regulatory audits at risk of failure, let alone reputational risk if you're supplying training to 3rd parties. It's not just a staffing issue, it's a genuine risk to your business.
These stories aren’t outliers. They’re warning signs.
We’ve worked with clients who faced this exact scenario. In one case, a simulator consistently failed a qualification test because the only technician who understood the control loading system had already left the company. In another, a training centre had to hire emergency contract support at three times the regular cost, just to get back online.
These stories aren’t outliers. They’re warning signs. If you don’t invest in technical continuity now, you’ll pay for it later, in missed training hours, regulatory penalties, or both.
Why It’s So Hard to Hire New Simulator Technicians and Engineers
Hiring for this role isn’t as easy as posting on a job board. Most candidates have never even heard of flight simulator maintenance. The job requires a unique blend of skills:
Electronics and circuit-level fault finding
IT systems and software troubleshooting
Mechanical maintenance and adjustment
Aviation knowledge and regulatory awareness
Very few people walk in with all of that. And the ones who do are in high demand.
So what can you do?
Our Approach? Train, Support, Document, Repeat
At Simutech Solutions, we don’t just keep simulators running, we help the people who run them to build their teams and skills for the future. We believe in building genuine capability within your team, so you’re not relying on outside help every time something breaks.
Here’s how we help you close the gap.
1. Structured Training for New Technicians
We run focused training programs that give junior technicians a real-world understanding of simulator systems. These are short, practical courses (often 1 to 2 weeks) that cover:
Host computers and I/O systems
Motion and control loading
Visual systems maintenance
Fault diagnosis and recovery
Preventative maintenance best practices
Our programs are designed for people with some technical background, IT, avionics, or engineering techs, but who are new to simulators. We teach what they actually need to know to succeed on the job.
2. On-the-Job Mentoring
We work alongside your existing team, guiding junior staff while your senior techs are still available. This overlap period is crucial. It’s the best way to transfer knowledge that’s never been written down.
We help by:
Creating fault libraries and fix guides
Capturing undocumented procedures
Showing newer staff how to think like a sim tech/engineer
3. Remote Technical Support
Training takes time, but real-world faults don’t wait.
That’s why we offer remote technical support that your team can call on anytime. If your new hire is facing a problem they’ve never seen before, they can call us. We walk them through it. They learn, and the simulator stays online.
This gives you breathing room while your team builds confidence.
4. Knowledge Capture
We help operators document what their team knows, before it’s too late. This includes:
Writing and digitising detailed maintenance procedures
Capturing system diagrams and configuration notes
Creating quick reference tools
Once captured, this knowledge lives on. New techs can learn from it and your team is no longer starting from scratch each time a new member joins.
Case Study: Saving a Sim Through Smart Succession
One of our clients operates a legacy B737 simulator. Their lead technician had been with them for 22 years. When he gave notice, the panic was real.
Together, we built a transition plan:
Identified promising junior staff
Delivered onsite training tailored to their systems
Documented known faults and how to fix them
Provided remote support for their first six months solo
The result? No disruption to operations. And a stronger technical team than before.
Answering the Big Objections
We hear the same concerns again and again. Let’s address them.
“We don’t have time to train someone.”
If you don’t train them now, you’ll spend three times longer fixing things later. The time to prepare is before your experienced technicians and engineers walk out the door.
“Our systems are too old to teach.”
That’s exactly why you need to teach them. No one’s learning this stuff in school. But with the right help, anyone with solid tech instincts can get up to speed.
“We’re too small for a structured plan.”
Even a one-person sim team needs a backup. We scale our support to fit your team’s size and budget.
What Can You Do Today?
Map your risk
Who on your team is critical to simulator uptime? What happens if they leave?
Identify potential successors
Look for people who are curious, logical, and calm under pressure, even if they’re not experts yet.
Start documenting now
Get your experienced staff to write down or record what they know. Even a smartphone video of a fault fix is better than nothing
Talk to us
We’ll help you build a simple, low-stress training and support plan.
Your Simulators Have a Bright Future, But Only If You Build It Today
You’ve invested heavily in your simulators. They’ve trained thousands of pilots, passed dozens of regulatory tests, and operated many long hours behind the scenes.
Don’t let one retirement shut it all down.
At Simutech Solutions, we help you build a team that can carry your simulators forward, whether they’re brand new or built in 1995. With the right support, your next technician could be your best one yet.
Need help building your next-generation sim tech team? Let’s talk.
Contact Simutech Solutions to start building your plan today.