The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of computer simulation models as a tool in the aviation industry.
This paper considers the development and formation of simulation programs from their origins at MIT in the 1960’s as well as their application to commercial airlines. Topics include how computer simulation is used to reconstruct airline accidents to help find the causes of these accidents and how the industry uses these to make air travel safer.
The history of simulation programs started at MIT in the 1960’s. In fact, MIT has one of the finest aeronautical engineering facilities of any in the United States. Known as the Wright Brothers Facility, MIT has been working with every part of simulation and aeronautical safety study that is known. As early as 1896 the Institute had wind tunnels that were used to simulate the amount of pressure that could be exerted on parts of the wings and body of the airplanes. Since that time prototypes of all sorts of simulation have evolved up to and including the most advanced of computer graphics simulators.