One area experiencing rapid growth in the use of computers in recent years is simulation. Simulations are used for training in procedures that would be too dangerous or expensive to perform in real life. Some simulations are even used for routine and repetitious tasks. As computers become more powerful, the variety of things that they can imitate becomes larger, and the accuracy of the simulations is better.

Two airline captains view a virtual version of Boston's Logan Airport from a Boeing 737-300 flight simulator. The pilots gain familiarity with the international airport through the simulator located at the United Flight Center in Denver, Colorado.

Aviation was among the first fields to use simulation. Today, military and airline pilots spend much of their time interacting with the computers that are flying the airplane. Computers have taken over both the mundane and the most difficult piloting...