Originally Posted by planemechanic
Not finite model analysis. What I want to know is that no airplane is certified without meeting the proper TESTING that is required. As someone who is a certified mechanic and with some engineering training I do understand what is required. No other aircraft has been ceritified without proving the wings don't break until 150% of design strength.
Pilots can get type ratings on simulator only time (level D) and then take fare paying passengers into the blue yonder without having ever flown the type before. This saves the airlines a lot of money and the training they recieve is just as valid as flying a real plane, only made possible through recent advances in technology.
Computer modelling techniques are much more advanced than 10 years ago and infinitely more advanced than 50 years ago. This is an instance where the computers can do as good a job as the real thing, especially as we're talking about 3%.