In collaboration with MeteoConsult (a Dutch meteorological institute), data was measured each day on the hour throughout 1999. This information was then placed into a spreadsheet, to which the flight school's conditions were added. The result showed that the actual usable flight hours were only 43% of the hours theoretically available. The variables employed were based on VFR flight.
Roth additionally researched the available options for the training of novice single-engine pilots. The results were shocking; the available single-engine simulators are aimed at IFR training, have no resemblance to the environment of an actual cockpit, and completely lack required visuals to allow a novice pilot to make a turn from base-leg to the runway.
The decision to start in-house development of a VFR simulator was made in 1999, resulting in the foundation of TRC Development b.v.. It was decided that the company would make a substantial investment in the creation of moulds for plastic components. This investment has allowed us to offer high-quality simulated flight instruments at a reasonable price.
TRC's flight simulators are offered in non-approved version for serious home use (druven from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004) and in FAA/JAA compliant version utilizing especially developed flight simulator software.
TRC Development now employs 18 people. Over 100 moulds have been developed for the production of instruments, while the company has produced a complete Cessna 172 SkyHawk simulator. which is designed to meet al JAA requirements on BITD, FNPTI and FNPTII. This simulator will not only be equipped with complete visuals for VFR training, but the company is also working on the integration of a 6-DOF hydraulic platform, creating the fully immersive illusion of flight and offering even higher levels of certification.
During the spring of 2005 the new TRC2244 flight simulator has been introduced, a Robinson R22/R44 replica, which is as realistic as the real helicopter flight deck. This product is yet under approval for BITD (JAR-STD-4H) and for FNPTI (JAR-STD3H).
TRC's partner Delft Aerospace University is involved in the continuous process of improving the flight dynamics of its simulators and the certification process for the newly designed flight simulators.
