Virtual Reality’s Impact on Flight Training Continues to Grow

KLM Airlines and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are two entities using this new technology.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 07:41 AM ET

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Jayla Thirtyacre, a senior in the Prescott Campus Cyber Intelligence and Security program, with math and computer science minors, tests the controls in Embry-Riddle’s virtual reality flight simulator. [Photo: David Thirtyacre/Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University]

Key Takeaways:

Virtual reality is being successfully integrated into pilot training by major aviation players like Air France–KLM and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
VR training significantly increases efficiency, drastically reduces training times (e.g., 30% faster first solo flights), and lowers overall training costs for aspiring and current pilots.
The technology enhances pilot preparedness, confidence, and specific skill development, including radio communication and emergency response, positioning it as a crucial solution for addressing pilot shortages and promoting sustainable training.

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VR is here to stay.

In December, I offered a window into how virtual reality was being implemented in flight training and suggested it could be an essential tool in lowering training costs for the next generation of pilots. I couldn’t anticipate the overwhelming interest that I’d receive from readers eager to learn more. It has only expanded my perspective on how critical this technology will be in training moving forward. Since then, two things have caught my attention that merit an update. In February, Chris Koomen, a virtual reality engineer and specialist at Air France–KLM Airlines Group, posted this viral walkaround video that his department produced. A pilot in training would be able to use the Oculus Quest 2 for business headset goggles and module for initial training on the 787.