Virtual Reality in Flight Training: More Than a Fad

If you’re planning to sign up for flight training, you may be handed a virtual reality (VR) headset.

Monday, December 20, 2021 at 10:17 AM ET

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Massachusetts Insitute of Technology Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet Preston Tower looks behind him at two jets flown by fellow MIT cadets in a mixed reality environment during a flying training session with the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. [U.S. Air Force photo by John Ingle]

Key Takeaways:

Virtual reality (VR) is poised to become the dominant initial training tool for pilots, potentially replacing early stages of traditional flight instruction.
Pilot training programs, such as one at Embry-Riddle, demonstrate that VR effectively teaches foundational flight knowledge and procedures, allowing students to master "hard skills" on the ground.
This VR-integrated approach can accelerate learning, reduce costs, and enable students to focus on advanced "soft skills" like decision-making and spatial awareness during actual flight time.
Wider adoption requires instructors to adapt and curriculum adjustments, but VR/AR offers significant benefits for making aviation training more accessible and efficient, helping address pilot shortages.

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If you’re planning to sign up for flight training in the near future, there’s a strong chance you may be handed a virtual reality (VR) headset before a pair of David Clarks.

Protecting your hearing is still important, to be clear, but what we mean when we say “put your headset on” might signify something completely different in the near future. I would go as far as to say that VR might be the most prominent training tool in the next decade.