Bombardier Q400 simulators are available for training use from one company. The only Q400 flight simulators that are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are the ones built by FlightSafety International, a Berkshire Hathaway company. FlightSafety also happens to be the operator / owner of all of the Bombardier Q400 simulators. The simulator was certified by the FAA on October 16, 2007. FlightSafety has full motion Level D simulators at the following locations, Farnborough, United Kingdom, Exeter, United Kingdom, St Louis, Missouri, United States, Seattle, Washington, US and Toronto, Canada. Based on data from the two agencies it looks like there are a total of 7 Q400 simulators around the world that are certified for training. Below is a list of those simulators.

The following Q400 simulators have been approved by the FAA as of August 20th, 2014

  • FAA ID# 990 - Level D at Farnborough - Listed as Inactive
  • FAA ID# 1028 – Level D at St Louis – Active
  • FAA ID# 709 – Level D at Seattle – Active
  • FAA ID# 1008 – Level D at Seattle – Active
  • FAA ID# 1147 – Level D at Toronto – Active
  • FAA ID# 676 – Level D at Toronto – Active

The Following Bombardier Q400 Simulators are approved by EASA:

  • EU-UKFS394 – Level D at Exeter
  • EU-UKFS460 – Level D at Farnborough
  • EU-UKFS328 – Level D at Toronto
  • EU-UKFS512 – Level D at Toronto

Bombardier Q400 Simulator Flightsafety

Above Q400 simulator photo by / copyright flybe Training Academy. Used under the fair use provision.

As mentioned, the Q400 simulators listed above are built by FlightSafety, which is providing training in them. FlightSafety training involves 18 hours in a Bombardier Q400 Simulator for an initial type rating and 6 hours for recurrent training. The simulators are very detailed and have a cockpit that is modeled exactly as a real Q400. FlightSafety also markets its VITAL X visual system that provides realistic graphics in their simulators.

Another major simulator manufacturer is CAE. They list capabilities in building a Bombardier Q400 simulator, however we have not spotted any simulators certified by EASA or the FAA. We have seen a CAE full motion simulator being used by Lufthansa for the Q400.

Bombardier Q400 Simulator Majestic Software for FSX (Microsoft Flight Simulator X / 10) or Lockheed Martin Prepar3d.

A very nice Q400 flight simulator model for FSX and Prepar3d is available from Majestic Software. They call it the MJC8 Q400. The Q400 is modeled very well, and all components look like the real Q400 turboprop. Majestic has 3 levels it is offering for it's Q400 simulator, a PILOT, PRO and TRAINING edition. The PILOT edition is built for those who do not need advanced features like an instructor panel. The PRO edition adds a shared cockpit feature, head up display and more. Finally, the TRAINING edition contains everything airlines and training companies need to provide training to students. To learn more check out the Majestic Software site.

Other "Names" for Bombardier Q400 simulator
The Bombardier Q400 turboprop has a few other names that it is called by. This is due to changes in the name of the aircraft and other names that are used for different reasons. Below are the other names:

  • Bombardier Q400 NextGen simulator: This refers to the NextGen name that was given to newer Q400s that have interior upgrades. The plane is technically the same as the orginal Q40
  • Bombardier DH4 simulator: "DH4" is the Q400s IATA code that is primarily used by airlines to identify the aircraft. Learn more on the DH4 page.
  • Bombardier DH8D simulator: "DH8D" is the ICAO code for the airplane and is used by airlines, air traffic control and others. To learn more about this name visit the DH8D aircraft page.
  • De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 simulator: This is the "model" name for the turboprop. De Havilland was a division of Bombardier that built the aircraft. The De Havilland name is not used by Bombardier in marketing, so the airplane is called the Bombardier DHC-8-400. DHC-8-400 is the official model name for the turboprop that is used by aviation regulators to identify the aircraft.
  • De Havilland Dash-8-400 simulator: the Dash-8-400 name is the name that was previously given to the aircraft by Bombardier. The Q400 was apart of the Dash-8 series program of turboprop aircraft. Bombardier then decided to change the name of those aircraft to the Q series turboprops and the Dash-8-400 became the Bombardier Q400. More on the Dash-8-400 can be found on that page.