Flight Training Technology

Will Virtual Reality Helmets Replace Full-Scale Flight Simulators?

BY BYRON BOHLMAN

The fallout from the global pandemic has put renewed focus on the critical shortage of pilots as commercial airlines ramp up schedules and introduce new, more fuel-efficient aircraft. Recalling flight crew from lengthy furloughs requires that they requalify to be able to resume flying. Airline training departments are no doubt maximising their resources in order to avoid schedule disruptions that arise from staff shortages.

One solution to the strain on resources is expanding the use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies. They can help shorten training time and, in turn, lower the overall cost of new type and recurrent training.

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) IS ALREADY HERE

Lufthansa is a pioneer in the use of VR for flight crew. It was the launch customer for a Virtual Procedure Trainer (VPT) developed by Airbus. Pilot trainees are immersed in a VR cockpit and learn standard operating procedures on Airbus aircraft. VR lets them repeat drills as often as they like in order to master and memorise correct procedural sequences for different flight scenarios. The VPT is a cost-effective tool because it doesn’t require the use of a large, expensive fullflight simulator.

Lufthansa Aviation Training conducted its first courses incorporating VR for cabin crew training in 2019. Today, some 20,000 flight attendants per year don VR glasses in its Frankfurt and Munich facilities to practise safety procedures in an immersive environment with the help of a virtual assistant. VR in the classroom allows the company to run several courses simultaneously, a time and cost-saving benefit.

Other companies are breaking new ground with VR. CAE, the world’s leading producer of training systems, is introducing VR using Microsoft HoloLens helmets for familiarisation and procedural instruction on multi-engine T-44C training aircraft. The US Army uses the same HoloLens technology in some of its military training.

EASA, the European aviation regulatory agency, certified the first VR Flight Simulation Training Device (FTSD) for a helicopter in 2021. The product was developed and built by Loft Dynamics AG of Switzerland. Jesper Rasmussen, EASA’s Flight Standards Director, believes the evolution of VR makes it possible to have “a wider range of cost-effective training devices to complement Full Flight Simulators.”

AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) IS TRANSFORMING THE WORKPLACE

While VR immerses users in a completely artificial environment, AR overlays real-time 3D digital and

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