What Is a Simulator Evaluation?
A simulator evaluation (sim eval) is a practical flying assessment conducted during the airline interview process. It takes place in a Level D full-motion simulator and typically lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. Most major airlines and many regional carriers include a sim eval as part of their hiring pipeline.
The critical thing to understand is that a sim eval is not a checkride. The FAA isn't involved, and there's no practical test standard you're being measured against. Instead, airline evaluators are watching how you learn, how you communicate, and how you handle pressure in an unfamiliar environment. They want to know one thing: can we train this person?
You don't need to know the aircraft type before you show up. The airline will brief you on the cockpit layout, basic procedures, and any callouts they expect. Some airlines pair you with another candidate, while others put you with a company pilot. Either way, the evaluators are watching your CRM, your instrument scan, and your ability to absorb and execute a briefing under pressure.
The sim eval exists because airlines invest hundreds of thousands of dollars training each new hire. They need to see evidence that you can succeed in their training program before they make that investment. Think of the sim eval as an audition for training, not a test of what you already know.
What Sim Evaluators Are Looking For
Understanding the evaluation criteria is half the battle. Airlines aren't looking for a perfect flight — they're looking for specific qualities that predict success in training.
CRM & Communication
Your ability to brief clearly, make standard callouts, and coordinate effectively with your sim partner. Evaluators listen for crew coordination phrases, proper transfer of controls, and whether you keep your partner in the loop during abnormal situations.
Instrument Scan & Flying Skills
Smooth, controlled flying with a disciplined instrument scan. They don't expect airline-quality precision on day one — they want to see that you can maintain a scan pattern, hold headings and altitudes within reasonable tolerances, and make smooth corrections when you deviate.
Situational Awareness
Do you know where you are, what's coming next, and what the airplane is doing? Evaluators watch for signs that you're staying ahead of the aircraft rather than reacting to it. Verbalizing your plan to your sim partner is a great way to demonstrate this.
Decision Making
How you handle abnormal situations and unexpected changes. When an engine fails or the weather goes below minimums, evaluators want to see a methodical approach: identify, verify, take appropriate action. Decisiveness matters more than getting every step perfect.
Trainability
Can you take a briefing, absorb new information, and execute it? If an evaluator gives you a correction mid-session, do you incorporate it immediately or keep making the same error? This is arguably the most important quality they assess.
Common Sim Eval Maneuvers
While every airline structures their sim eval differently, most include some combination of the following maneuvers. Knowing what to expect helps you prepare mentally and practice the right skills.
Normal Takeoff and Departure
You'll brief the departure, make standard callouts (airspeed alive, V1, rotate, positive rate), and fly a standard departure profile. Focus on smooth pitch control and demonstrating proper crew coordination from the very first moment.
Steep Turns (45-degree bank)
A classic airmanship maneuver. Smooth entry and exit, maintain altitude within plus or minus 100 feet, and roll out on your heading. The key is a steady back-pressure increase as you roll in and a smooth scan between the attitude indicator and altimeter.
ILS Approach to Landing
Expect at least one ILS approach, either raw data (no flight director) or FMS-coupled depending on the airline. Brief the approach before you start it, make your callout at decision height, and fly a stabilized approach. Evaluators watch your scan discipline and glideslope tracking closely.
Engine Failure Scenarios
The V1 cut (engine failure at or near V1 during takeoff) is the most common engine failure scenario. Maintain directional control, fly the profile, communicate with your partner. Some airlines also introduce engine failures on approach. The procedure matters more than perfect flying — follow the steps in order.
Missed Approach / Go-Around
When you reach decision height or miss approach point without the runway in sight, execute the go-around. Apply takeoff power, pitch up, clean up the aircraft in sequence, and fly the published missed approach. Clear communication with your sim partner is essential here.
Holding Pattern Entry
You may be asked to enter a hold — direct, parallel, or teardrop entry depending on your inbound heading relative to the hold. Know the three entry types cold. If you're unsure of the entry, talk through your reasoning out loud. Evaluators appreciate seeing your thought process.
Visual Approach
If time permits, some evaluators ask for a visual approach to demonstrate hand-flying skill without instruments as your primary reference. Maintain a stable descent rate, keep the runway in sight, and fly a normal traffic pattern. This is your chance to show you can fly the airplane, not just the gauges.
How Different Airlines Run Sim Evals
Each airline has its own approach to the simulator evaluation. Understanding the differences can help you tailor your preparation.
Delta Air Lines
Full CRM assessment in a two-pilot crew environment. Heavy emphasis on communication and decision-making. Expect multiple scenarios designed to test how you work with your sim partner under increasing workload. Delta values crew coordination above raw stick-and-rudder skill.
United Airlines
Comprehensive sim session with multiple scenarios stacked together. Expect engine failures, weather deviations, and system malfunctions. United evaluators want to see that you can manage competing priorities and maintain your instrument scan when things get busy.
Southwest Airlines
Group sim eval format that emphasizes collaboration and culture fit. You may fly with another candidate, and evaluators watch how you interact as a crew. Southwest's culture values teamwork heavily — being a good crew member matters as much as flying the airplane well.
FedEx / UPS
Emphasis on single-pilot decision-making and operations in challenging environments. Cargo sim evals often include night operations, low-visibility approaches, and scenarios that test your ability to make autonomous decisions without a crew to back you up.
Regional Airlines
Usually a more straightforward sim ride in a CRJ or ERJ simulator. The focus is on fundamentals — basic instrument flying, approaches, and engine failures. Regional sim evals tend to be shorter and less complex than major airline evaluations, but the same CRM principles apply.
Preparation Tips
You can't study your way through a sim eval the way you can an oral exam, but you can absolutely prepare. The pilots who pass sim evals consistently are the ones who show up having practiced the right things.
- Study the aircraft type if you know it. YouTube cockpit familiarization videos are an excellent free resource. Watch flows, learn where the key instruments are, and understand the basic automation philosophy (Airbus vs. Boeing, for example).
- Practice your instrument scan. If you have access to a home simulator (X-Plane, MSFS), spend time hand-flying ILS approaches and steep turns. Focus on maintaining a consistent scan pattern rather than chasing perfect numbers.
- Review ILS approach procedures and go-around techniques. Know the standard missed approach procedure and practice transitioning from approach configuration to go-around power and climb. This is where many candidates get flustered.
- Prepare your CRM calls. Practice standard phrases: "My aircraft, your radio," "Positive rate, gear up," "Set missed approach altitude." Clear, concise communication shows evaluators you understand crew resource management.
- Get 8 hours of sleep the night before. Fatigue degrades instrument scan speed and decision-making. No amount of last-minute preparation is worth showing up tired to a sim eval.
- If you don't have jet time, practice at a sim center. Full-motion sim sessions typically cost $200-400 per hour. Even one or two sessions in a jet simulator can dramatically improve your comfort level with the speed, feel, and sight picture of a transport-category aircraft.
- Practice chair flying. Sit in a quiet room and mentally walk through each phase of flight — takeoff callouts, departure, approach briefing, ILS tracking, engine failure response. Visualizing the procedures builds muscle memory without a simulator.
Common Mistakes
Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. These are the mistakes evaluators see most often from sim eval candidates.
Not briefing the approach before starting it. Walking through the approach plate with your sim partner before you begin shows planning, CRM, and professionalism. Skipping the brief is one of the fastest ways to get a downgrade.
Fixating on one instrument instead of scanning. Target fixation on the glideslope needle or airspeed indicator is a classic sign of stress. Maintain your scan pattern — attitude, heading, altitude, airspeed — and make small corrections frequently rather than large corrections infrequently.
Forgetting callouts. Altitude bugs, decision heights, speed callouts — these are the verbal markers that prove you're situationally aware. Practice them until they're automatic. Missing a "1,000 to go" or "minimums" callout stands out to evaluators.
Not communicating with your sim partner. Silence in the cockpit is a red flag. Evaluators want to hear you verbalize your intentions, confirm actions, and coordinate task-sharing. Even if you're flying solo, narrate what you're doing and why.
Over-controlling the aircraft. Jet simulators respond differently than the light aircraft most candidates are used to. Large, abrupt control inputs lead to oscillations and overcorrections. Relax your grip, make small inputs, and let the airplane fly. Trim is your best friend.
Getting flustered by an engine failure. The engine failure is coming. Everyone knows it. When it happens, take a breath, maintain directional control, and follow the procedure step by step. Evaluators don't expect you to look calm — they expect you to act methodically despite the stress.