{"id":27137,"date":"2023-11-11T02:28:30","date_gmt":"2023-11-11T02:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=27137"},"modified":"2023-11-11T02:28:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T02:28:31","slug":"innovative-approaches-and-technologies-using-vr-can-improve-pilot-training-and-address-pilot-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/aviation-education\/innovative-approaches-and-technologies-using-vr-can-improve-pilot-training-and-address-pilot-shortage\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Innovative Approaches and Technologies Using VR Can Improve Pilot Training and Address Pilot Shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Guest Commentary By Vance Hilderman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vance Hilderman<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the past summer, 61 percent<\/a> of travelers experienced a flight delay or cancellation, and I was one of them. The aviation industry and the government have been working to solve the problem. But it only seems to be getting worse, due in large part to the fact that there simply aren\u2019t enough pilots<\/a> to keep flights running smoothly. It seems that the traditional methods of training new pilots are falling short in bridging the gap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s\ntake a step back and ask ourselves, what are the key factors causing the pilot\nshortage, and how can the aviation industry address them? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factors contributing to the shortage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\npilot shortage is a reality that the aviation industry cannot ignore,\nespecially since there has been a drastic increase in air travel demand after\nthe worst of the pandemic. Add to that, many experienced pilots are reaching\nthe mandatory retirement age, with not enough new pilots joining the ranks to\nreplace them. In the next 15 years, approximately 50\npercent<\/a> of pilots will be retiring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nsituation was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, as many airlines\nimplemented layoffs and early retirements to cut costs. Now that air travel has\nlargely recovered, those airlines are more short-staffed than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\nthen there\u2019s the high cost of pilot training, which can take up to two years\nand cost $100,000 at the average flight school. The high cost is mainly due to\nthe expense of paying for and maintaining training aircraft, which are\nincreasingly costly and rare, making it harder to schedule flights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For\ninstance, a Cessna 172, one of the most commonly used aircraft in pilot\ntraining, costs over $400,000 new and burns about eight\ngallons of fuel<\/a> per hour on average. With aviation\nfuel typically costing more than five dollars per gallon<\/a>,\njust the fuel costs for a single hour of flight time can be $40. That quickly\nadds up over the course of a pilot\u2019s training, during which they must complete\nat least 1,500 hours in the air. It\u2019s no wonder many are now looking for\nalternative careers rather than face long and costly training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter VR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nrise of VR training in pilot education is an exciting development in the\naviation industry, and one that has the potential to address the pilot shortage\nby dramatically reducing training costs and speeding up the training process\nwhen compared to relying on traditional training aircraft. With VR, pilots can\nsimulate various scenarios and practice their skills in a safe and controlled\nenvironment without needing to schedule an actual flight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using\na VR headset, a student can step into a virtual cockpit that meticulously\nreplicates the real thing \u2014 every switch, every dial, every blinking light.\nThis training can include an array of scenarios, from routine takeoffs and\nlandings to complex in-flight emergencies, all set in various weather\nconditions and different times of the day. In fact, scenario-based training,\nlike training with how to deal with a fire during a flight, is one of the main\nuse cases of VR since training for such situations in a real aircraft could\nseriously threaten safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ncosts involved in setting up a VR pilot training program can vary greatly\ndepending on the sophistication of the system. Advanced setups with\nprofessional-grade VR headsets, high-end graphics computers, full cockpit\nmock-ups, and haptic feedback systems can easily run into the tens of thousands\nof dollars or more, although that is still well below the cost of the average\ntraining aircraft. Once the training systems are set up, the ongoing costs of\nVR pilot training are minimal, especially when compared to the cost of fuel,\naircraft maintenance, and wear and tear associated with traditional flight\ntraining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\ncontrast, a VR training session costs essentially nothing beyond the\nelectricity used to power the computer and VR headset. What\u2019s more, the\nenvironmental impact of a VR system is negligible compared to that of training\naircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nkey roadblock to fully implementing VR training lies, as these things so often\ndo, in regulations. One of the key advantages of VR training is its potential\nto count towards flight hours rather than having to opt for an actual flight.\nHowever, the FAA has yet\nto approve<\/a> VR training for flight hours, despite its clear advantages.\nIn Europe, the EASA has already approved VR training, while the U.S. lags\nbehind. This disparity is particularly unfortunate, because, at least in my\nview, VR is a clear answer to the training problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutting costs through compliance <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until\nVR training is approved, we need to find other methods of reducing costs. One\nof the best ways we can do that, at least from where I sit, is by correctly\napplying regulatory frameworks like DO-178C<\/a>\nand DO-254<\/a>\nin the manufacturing and design processes for training aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nrole of DO-178C and DO-254 in aircraft systems and avionics is crucial for\nensuring safety and reliability of both software and hardware. DO-178C defines\nprocesses and objectives to achieve the highest level of software integrity and\nquality, and DO-254 provides guidance on the planning, development, and\nverification of hardware elements. Together, these standards make sure avionics\nsystems work safely and at high performance levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now,\nnormally engineers tend to think of DO-178C and DO-254 as expensive necessities\nand somewhat of a hindrance. Compliance standards certainly make the\ndevelopment process more strict and require more checks along the way, and by\nextension require more hours from engineers and avionics developers. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\nsaid, the correct implementation of standards, such as DO-178C, can reduce\ncosts in other areas. For example, strict DO-178C compliance improves software\nreusability. That means developers can use parts of software and code in other\nsystems, which cuts down the overall time required for creating\nthem. Better avionics quality resulting from DO-178C and DO-254 improves\npilot reliability which can lessen required training time.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s\nmore, adhering to these standards decreases the likelihood of both returns or\nfailures, which results in a more reliable and cost-effective training aircraft\nsystem overall. And when manufacturers and developers adhere to DO-178C or\nDO-254 from the start, this will help them streamline the development cycle.\nCost savings should funnel down to the end user, making it easier for flight\nschools to afford new aircraft. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A better future for aviation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the pilot shortage continues to place immense pressure on the aviation sector, innovative approaches and technologies can help tackle the problem at its roots. By understanding the root causes of the pilot shortage, the industry can invest in smarter training and development methods to ensure more trained pilots for the future of aviation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vance Hilderman, is the principal founder\/CTO of three of the world\u2019s most significant aviation development\/certification companies including TekSci, HighRely, and <\/em>AFuzion<\/em><\/a>. Hilderman has trained over 31,000 engineers in over 700 aviation companies and 30+ countries. His intellectual property is in use by 70% of the world\u2019s top 300 aviation and systems developers worldwide, and he has employed and personally presided over 500 of the world\u2019s foremost aviation engineers on 300+ projects the past thirty-five years. <\/em>AFuzion\u2019s<\/em><\/a> solutions are on 90% of the aircraft developed over the past three decades. His latest book, Aviation Development Ecosystem, debuted at #1 on the Aviation category best-seller list. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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