The rationale is developed that training equipment should be selected or designed to furnish what the student needs to know and to be able to do to perform successfully on the operational job. Several considerations relevant to training equipment design from the systems engineering standpoint are examined. Suggested design features based upon particular student learning needs and on student learning characteristics are presented. These include automated instructional functions, performance monitoring, malfunction insertion, variation of task difficulty, student feedback and guidance, flight demonstration, sequencing of maneuvers and mission segments, permanent recording of results, instructor aids, performance playback, audio and visual recording, plotting devices, instructor displays and controls, and trainee controlled instruction. Training equipment design features for particular categories of training objectives and for levels of training (e.g. initial training of aviators vs. trainsition training) are considered. Also discussed is the criticality of the synthetic training program with respect to the total training engineering process. (JK)