AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015 - 112

PILOTS

SIMULATOR GURU

Bruce Williams
Passionate about simulators
B Y I A N J. T W O M B LY

112 | AOPA PILOT June 2015

with people, seeing their confidence grow over a three- or four-flight syllabus," he says.
His Beechcraft Bonanza has about the most modern panel possible in the aftermarket.
"I'm interested in how pilots actually use these panels," he says. "There is still a lot of
confusion over what seems to be basic things. We haven't done a very good job of training folks."
So while the art of flying aerobatics appeals greatly to Williams, so too do the technical aspects of it. "In simple terms, aviation is this great puzzle," he says. "For a lot of
people the real appeal of flying is that once you get the basic skills, a well-flown flight is
this puzzle of weather, flight plan, and figuring out a route. I enjoy that process." AOPA
LOGBOOK

WHO | Bruce Williams,

flight instructor and author

RATINGS | CFII
EXTRA | Follow Williams

on his website
(www.bruceair.com)

RICK DAHMS

WHAT FIRST LOOKS LIKE a life filled with
a series of contradictions begins to fall
in line when you consider that for Bruce
Williams, knowledge and progress are all
that really matter. The job could be technical or whimsical, but the goal is the
same-to further one's learning in unique,
accessible, and fun ways.
Williams is best known as the business development manager of Microsoft's
Flight Simulator division, a job he held
through all the most popular releases of
the software. But he's no programmer.
Williams studied English literature in college, training that got him some writing
jobs in aviation and business publications
early in his career. He started at Microsoft
as a technical editor and worked up to be
the business leader. At the time Microsoft
was employing pilots, aerospace engineers, and loads of other subject-matter
experts to produce the various releases
of Microsoft Flight Simulator. "For a lot
of people, Flight Sim was this great fantasy," he says of the product's massive
appeal. "Virtual airlines started before
the Internet."
After retiring from Microsoft in 2004,
Williams continued to push simulators as a
great tool for learning a broad range of aviation skills. He remains passionate about
their ability to impact training. "Think
about how you can use it as an interactive, creative, inspiring tool that will
help you practice obscure tasks," he says.
He's written two books on the subject-
Scenario-based Training with X-Plane and
Microsoft Flight Simulator and Microsoft
Flight Simulator as a Training Aid.
Williams is also an active instructor
and frequent lecturer. His broad interests are evident here, too, as he switches
from advanced work in technologically
advanced aircraft to upset and aerobatic
training in his Extra 300. "It's nice to go
up on a pretty day and make the world
go round. I prefer sharing the experience

http://www.bruceair.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2015