The United States invites Swiss XR training company to cooperate in pilot training

FAA to evaluate virtual reality in flight simulator for first time

News from XR Industry People Navigation Network on July 18, 2023, U.S. aviation regulators are teaming up with a Swiss XR training company to rethink the way helicopter pilots are trained. The Zurich-based company, Loft Dynamics, recently announced that the FAA will be evaluating the virtual reality technology it offers for the first time in a flight simulator.

Loft Dynamics combined a virtual reality headset with a replica helicopter control panel and cockpit setup to create a realistic flight simulator. The FAA's research and development center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has installed two related simulators, one for training Airbus H125 helicopter pilots and the other for Robinson R22 helicopter pilots. However, specific financial details were not disclosed publicly.

The FAA has been exploring the application of new technologies in aviation and has a large development program. Although this is the first time they've evaluated a virtual reality headset as a training tool, the technology is primarily intended for the helicopter market, not commercial aircraft. Additionally, the partnership with Loft Dynamics is merely an agreement and does not equate to certification of the technology in the United States.

However, the startup's system has already been certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and, since December 2022, it has received $20 million in investment from various institutional investors. So far, Loft Dynamics has sold and deployed 13 simulators in Europe.

Loft Dynamics hopes to provide a more streamlined and lower-cost training method through virtual reality technology to train pilots of various aircraft types, and eventually replace traditional training schools.

"Helicopter simulation is much more difficult, so we set it to a higher standard. Compared to dome simulators, our solution is about 20 times cheaper," the company said.

The R22's virtual reality headset will be an especially helpful tool for new pilots, especially since helicopters are more expensive and complex than traditional fixed-wing aircraft. The R22 is an entry-level trainer aircraft with a conventional piston engine widely used by corporate operators, emergency medical teams, law enforcement and the military. Higher performance helicopters are equipped with turbine engines.

For Loft Dynamics, the next step is to expand the virtual reality simulation technology to training fixed-wing aircraft and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs).