Getting VR Right for Pilot Training – the Airbus Vision

The promise of low-cost virtual reality training for airline pilots can be alluring. Europe Editor Chris Long spoke with Airbus VR point man Shane Carroll.

The critical element when adopting VR is to be certain that it fits the bill for the specific training needed. That can be challenging when the attractiveness of the technology and the lure of less expensive and more easily managed training packages is there to see. It is no surprise that in the very regulated and safety-conscious world of pilot training, global leader Airbus must be sure that it is on the right track when selecting new training technology.

Some time ago Airbus had a specialist unit called Airbus Bizlab, which as a hybrid accelerator had the role of identifying and fostering innovation across the spectrum of aviation industry activity. It identified a company, VRNam, based in Ho Chin Min City, founded in 2017 by Shane Carroll, a highly experienced and qualified pilot, instructor and examiner, which had been developing VR solutions for pilot training.

Capt. Carroll’s start point had been the observation that pilots preparing for simulator sessions themselves frequently self-briefed by working, often as a pair, to move their way through cockpit flows, start-up sequences and other procedures by trying to picture it, eyes closed and with gestures to encourage the muscle memory. That was worthy, but, frankly, left a little to be desired for maximum benefit. There are parallels in former routines of national aerobatic display team pilots, who used to go through entire sequences together doing much the same thing. With the nascent VR industry gaining momentum, Carroll realised there was the potential to improve on that very basic preparation by using some form of headset to recreate the cockpit environment, and with which the routine flows and tasks could be convincingly practised.

That idea appealed to Airbus, and since July 2019 Carroll, now Head of Training Software at Airbus, has headed up a specialist unit, collocated in Dublin, Ireland with other Airbus assets, which is making that vision reality.

Working in concert with the Airbus Training Centre in Toulouse, it became apparent that there is a huge advantage in working within a world-leading company where there is a great range of expertise on tap, whether that be experts in 3D development, pedagogy, human factors, visual systems or so on. A fascinating start point was the immediate involvement of health and safety experts – why? Because the prospect of crews blindly moving around unsupervised in a variety of workplaces might not be best practice. One of the unexpected challenges, for instance, was that when reaching for the more distant controls in the overhead panel the natural reaction of crews is to brace against the pilots’ seat to make that brief stretch – not a good idea if you are sitting on a normal, unsupported chair! That illustrates the comprehensive development process, working from the ground up to build a valid and effective training solution using all available resources.

The initial focus is to concentrate on the basics – carrying out relatively simple and standard tasks – complex scenarios can come later. Analysing the requirements was framed around a scripted flight from Dublin to London, when the use of SOPs in a routine operation identified exactly what actions could reasonably be transferred to the VR environment. Within that, the roles of PF and PM could be seen at each phase of flight and the suitability of VR in training for those could be identified.

It is well recognised that a major attraction of VR is not just that it creates an excellent level of standardisation, but that it has endless repeatability if that is required – either under the supervision of an instructor or as a vehicle for self-study at a remote situation, always with the capability of giving instantaneous feedback. Similarly, it can very easily be updated to reflect recent changes to SOPs or techniques. It does not yet replace other training platforms, but it makes the use of FTDs more effective if some of the skills have already been mastered.

Developing a robust system must embrace some broader thinking. From the start it has been designed to be able to employ a wide range of headset technology as the local budget and capability defines. It must be at least as effective as the system it is slated to replace. Judging exactly how that might pan out involved asking airlines and operators what they wanted and needed. The evolution is fascinating, with every 10 questions asked by the researchers eliciting 100 further questions in response.

The use of this medium is likely to mean some fresh thinking on what is taught and the way it is delivered, so the whole syllabus and range of training segments need to be considered and perhaps revised. Carroll does not see this as a linear progression. Very largely derived from gaming thinking and resources, the rate of change of that seed corn source means that inevitably there will be continuing change and improvement, so the format needs to be based on an open architecture, flexible enough to adapt to and embrace those changes. A further challenge, of course, is in the regulation of this approach – can the regulators approve it and eventually recognise training credits.

The attraction of more effective and efficient (reduced cost) training is very strong. Just how to measure that more effective training is a challenge in itself, as the metrics are a little fluid. In the future as new entrants arrive, they will almost certainly be familiar with this technology and already comfortable with such a training asset. Further ahead, as proof of the advantages of VR emerges and confidence is built up, then additional more complex tasks can be envisaged – emergency descent drills and so on.

The immediate aim is to focus on support of A320 training and to roll it out initially to the Airbus Training Centres and eventually to worldwide customers. It is not a question as to whether or not this will be integrated into training across the Airbus product range, but more a simple question of when it will reach that market.