Redbird Flight (Redbird) today introduced an evolution of its flight deck software and hardware, kicking off a broad campaign to systematically increase the fidelity, specificity, and overall value of its aviation training devices (ATDs) for learners and flight training providers.
The multi-year effort reflects an ongoing shift in the flight training market, where operators increasingly value higher-fidelity ATDs that more accurately represent the actual aircraft and enable positive transfer of training for learners.
“Flight training providers—from local flight schools to large, academy-style, Part 141 programs—continue to express a desire for highly realistic training devices that emulate exactly what their customers will experience in their aircraft fleet,” said Redbird CEO Charlie Gregoire. “In our view, that means not only offering the look, feel, and functionality of specific aircraft cockpits but also the ability to represent and interchange between multiple aircraft configurations and avionics stacks in one device. The enhanced software and hardware options we are introducing today immediately deliver more training value without sacrificing a reconfigurable cockpit architecture that better serves flight schools that have multiple makes and models in their fleet.”
A high-fidelity G1000 NXi software emulation and an accompanying ‘E001’ instrument panel headline the first wave of upgrades. Set to release on August 17, the NXi software is the result of a multi-year, ground-up development effort that delivers improved graphics, faster processing speeds, and several enhanced operational features used for training with integrated flight decks and technically advanced aircraft (TAA), including Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT), HSI mapping on the primary flight display, and airport environment tools like SafeTaxi.
The E001 Enhanced Aircraft panel will be available in early 2027, the first installment in a new family of instrument panels with higher-fidelity hardware and embedded video displays. It features hardware for two G1000 GDU 1054Bs, a GMA1347 audio panel, and knobs to allow for three analog standby instruments. The panel is more flexible and intelligent than previous versions, capable of querying the rest of the hardware in the training device to determine which aircraft configurations can be simulated accurately at a given time. The roadmap for Enhanced Aircraft panels includes several configurations of popular Avidyne and Garmin avionics, including the IFD and GTN series. “Everything we will be developing for the Enhanced Aircraft product line is modular and backward compatible with our existing install base, meaning customers with devices dating back to the original FMX 1 can update individual software and hardware components piecemeal,” added Gregoire. “However, our product roadmap is focused on being able to offer complete, higher-fidelity cockpits for specific aircraft configurations.”
