FSTD 2028: From Simulator Level to Training Capability
The new European FSTD framework creates an opportunity to rethink how training objectives, device capability and investment decisions fit together.
The question is changing
The new EASA framework introduces the FSTD Capability Signature (FCS) and task-to-tool methodology. The practical question moves toward which capability a training, testing or checking task actually requires.
Optimisation starts with the training task
The cheapest device is not automatically efficient, and the most capable device is not automatically the best answer. Device selection should follow the training objective, regulatory credit, operational risk and required fidelity.
What to do before 2028
Map training tasks against current devices, review utilisation and bottlenecks, and keep future acquisition specifications flexible enough for the capability-based framework. The applicability date is 30 April 2028, but procurement and programme changes take time.
The management question: Are we buying simulator capability because the training needs it — or because that is how the specification has always been written?
Reference framework
EASA Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTD); ED Decision 2026/008/R; CS-FSTD Issue 1.
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