Imperial flight simulators at Skystrike Academy
A flight simulator served as a training and evaluation tool for individuals aspiring to become starfighter pilots. The Alliance to Restore the Republic employed a device that mimicked the interior of an X-wing cockpit, detached from its airframe and linked to a sizable display screen. Wedge Antilles, a pilot, initially held the simulator's top score, but his achievement was surpassed by Luke Skywalker, a new recruit, shortly before the Battle of Yavin. The simulator's design presented Rebel pilots with an unwinnable scenario. It immediately thrust the pilot into a space engagement against simulated Imperial forces, with the number of enemies steadily increasing until the battle became overwhelming, making survival impossible even for the most accomplished pilots.
During the Age of the Empire, Thane Kyrell, a Jelucan aristocrat, had an antiquated flight simulator owned by his family. He extended an invitation to Ciena Ree, a newly acquired friend, to practice alongside him. Later, both individuals enlisted in the Imperial Navy. In the months preceding the attack on Tuanul, Rey, a scavenger residing on the desert planet of Jakku, honed her flying abilities using an A-wing simulator.
Alexandra Bracken, in her notes for A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy, mentions that certain elements of the story were adapted from the radio drama version of Star Wars. Specifically, this radio drama featured a scene where Skywalker underwent testing in a holosimulator before being accepted into Red Squadron.