The aviation industry is divided about the effectiveness of using a virtual reality pilot training system in pilot training schools. Is VR pilot training still a speck on the horizon? The result is that the pilot training cost is extremely high and beyond the reach of many aspiring pilots. It gets even more expensive with the launch of a newer model of airplane, which means the old one must be dumped.
Best flight simulator vr full#
For example, a Type 7 full flight simulator sells for upwards of $12 million, excluding the cost of operating the simulator. The Level D/Type 7 standard is used for both initial pilot training (conversion to a new type of aircraft), and recurrent commercial pilot training for commercial air transport (all commercial pilots must train regularly, usually every six months, to retain their qualification to fly passengers in CAT aircraft).įlight simulators are huge, weigh tons and cost a lot.
In recent years, these levels have been changed to seven international levels and Level D is now Type 7. In the past, there were four levels of FFS graded A through D, with D being the highest standard. Pilots can then precisely work out their approach procedures for the airport in the simulator. This gives more than a 180-degree view in satellite quality of all important objects at a particular airport. For instance, an FFS can simulate the friction of the air along the fuselage and expose pilots to spatial orientation exercises. They save fuel as well as wear-and-tear on aircraft and engines, and can replicate hazardous conditions and system failures without putting any real-life passengers at risk.Ī full flight simulator (FFS) is a more technologically advanced simulator, which uses advanced technology in areas of motion, visuals, communication and air traffic. Video displays are then installed, allowing pilots to look out over a landscape or runway.ĭuring pilot training, flight simulators allow students to interact with a real airplane cockpit. Typically, a flight simulator is created by chopping off the front (cockpit) of an airplane, which is then mounted on a hexapod platform that allows the part of the airplane on top to move six degrees. The learning experience was further enhanced by allowing students to analyze a flight that had been captured and uploaded into the VR simulator.Īre VR flight simulators the future of pilot training? Another groundbreaking part of VR flying was the ability to change up one cockpit for another – taking just 10 seconds for a student to go from flying a T-6 trainer to an F-22. Students were able to fully immerse themselves in a cockpit using an HTC Vive virtual reality headset while biometrics monitored heart rate and pupil measurement – giving flight instructors an accurate reading of just how immersed students were in the learning experience – something not possible with traditional flight simulators. The VR flight training cost came in at $1,000 per unit, instead of the usual cost of $4.5 million for a legacy simulator. The usual pilot training system takes about a year. Using VR headsets and advanced AI biometrics instead of traditional multi-million-dollar flight simulators, 13 pilots were certified in just four months. Air Force launched a Pilot Training Next class with 30 students. They can even be used to train mechanics. A VR pilot training system has the potential to significantly lower flight training costs while decreasing Air Force budgets. But virtual reality is about to change the way students are taught at pilot training schools, in what is set to be more than just a breakthrough for technology.
Best flight simulator vr professional#
Now virtual reality (VR) is about to usher in a whole new era of professional pilot training, with far-reaching consequences for the aviation industry.Īll pilots, from Air Force to commercial to private jet pilots, have been trained in flight simulators for close to a century.
In that time, there have been many breakthroughs in aviation technology. Wet, damp (ACMI), dry and hybrid lease contracts for airlinesįlight simulators have been used to train pilots for more than 80 years. Providing aircraft charter solutions for orchestras Pharmaceutical specific charter solutions adapted for sensitive goods Working together with travel agents and tour operators Tailored aircraft charters for film & media productionĪrranging charters for sporting events, organisations & athletes Personnel and cargo solutions for the industry Providing aircraft charters for the music industries Individual or large charter programmes for governments Supporting freight forwarders with their logistical requirements Time sensitive and secure aircraft charters in emergenciesĪssisting event organisers with their logistics requirements Aircraft leasing and cargo charter solutionsĬharter for key personnel or time-sensitive cargoĪssisting travel departments around the world