Advancing XR for Maintenance Training – With Deliberate, Measured Steps

When the author first discussed this article with colleagues earlier this year there were several unbridled expectations that the commercial aviation maintenance community would be much further along in integrating extended reality (XR) for learning when this article was posted. R&D projects and early adoption use cases in this community had provided, and are continuing to deliver, adequate returns on investment (ROIs) to encourage stakeholders to use this technology in instructional strategies. While there were few predictions that XR headsets and accompanying content would be standard Day 1 issue for aspiring maintenance technicians, some observers and insiders expected a wider use of this learning enabler.

Early ROIs and the maturation of XR technology have encouraged regulators and other stakeholders to further lay the foundation for using this enabler in maintainers’ learning continua.

Yet, as this article is posted training enterprises are lightly tapping the brakes on using XR in their instructional strategies – making deliberate, informed decisions on when and where to use the technology. While unit cost of many headsets and accompanying materiel remains an investment factor, leaders are taking a more holistic approach to XR, actively seeking additional ROIs and for the technology to further mature to help inform their decisions.

The author uses “XR” in this article as an overarching label for augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR).

One Regulator’s Green Light

EASA is proactively reviewing XR’s ability to support training activities across the commercial aviation enterprise. At this early point, the organization is issuing rules to govern this technology in maintenance training.

This month a spokesperson at EASA noted EU regulation applicable to aircraft maintenance training has recently been amended to allow for the use of new training technologies among which AR and VR are specifically referred to. “Whilst no specific reference is made to MR and XR, both technological means would be accepted under the condition of appropriate demonstration of compliance to the training requirements.” Regulation 1321/2014 – Annex IV (Part-147) point 147.A.130 and its AMC 1 147.A.130(a) provide more information on the training technologies to be used in the EASA environment.

EASA’s regulation was further clarified as not being prescriptive on the use of such technologies, and while referring to AR and VR as acceptable methods, MR and XR may also be used. The spokesperson pointed out the envisaged limitation of such technologies can be found in Table 3 of AMC 1 147.A.130(a) which outlines the combined use of training tools (technologies) and training methods. “The practical elements of training are of higher emphasis regarding technological limitations given the limited suitability of AR and VR.”

Training Organizations’ XR Journeys

With EASA granting authority to train with XR, stakeholders in and beyond Europe are taking incremental, forward steps for the early adoption of this technology in maintenance learning.

Over at Ten Hammers, Denis Manson, a veteran maintenance engineer and aviation consultant, and his colleague Stewart Todhunter, a digital designer with a wealth of aviation instruction design experience, informed CAT their digital design studio continues to specialize in training developments for the lower end of the aviation industry and in adjacent safety critical communities.

Manson added that he has loved seeing the evolution in XR over the last 15 years, and the accompanying technologies, including AI. “With every technology there are opportunities and threats. The rise of XR was characterized by a ‘hype curve’ that was mentioned at 2024 APATS in Singapore. Nowadays we are better informed about the true breadth of training capabilities for the extended reality technologies. It is still improving, but the early hype has died down and consumers and developers are a lot more interested and pragmatic about the uses of XR.”

There have been significant developments to encourage these and other stakeholders to advance their use of XR for this training audience.

ROIs have been and are evident in many use cases in maintenance training and will continue to show strong economic feasibility, the executives noted. They added there are use cases for increased learning engagement and effectiveness with less intervention, reduced drop-out rates, better knowledge retention and less remedial instruction. “There are also use cases for reduction in training time, so being able to cycle more students through a program is important.”

XR’s technology foundation is also incrementally advancing. The Ten Hammers team initially cited the rise of untethered headsets which makes setup and use so much more convenient and provides freedom for the user. “Fidelity is great with most headsets. The sickness that sometimes came with latency or slow framerate has all but disappeared,” the executives added and continued, that coupled with technology, developers now have many more ways of optimizing computing power when creating lush, detailed models. “So, the user can see great detail within their immediate field-of-vision and the next ‘scene’ in low fidelity until the user moves on it to interact.”

These early, positive advancement aside, Manson and Todhunter noted maintenance engineering training has many tasks that are well-suited to being represented in XR, but there are many tasks that only gain marginal value compared to more traditional methods. “When budget is a consideration, and when is it not a consideration, this strategic thought is very necessary. Where do we get the most ‘bang for the buck’?”

The executives further emphasized their efforts are designed to figure out the best way to solve their clients’ problems, which interestingly may or may not include XR. “Although XR is in our skillset and something we advocate, sometimes XR is not the best way.”

Several of Manson and Todhunter’s key observations are interestingly in synch with another community stakeholder, Luca Richter, Commercial Product Manager at Lufthansa Technical Training (LTT).

The LTT manager significantly observed his organization is intensively exploring the opportunities and challenges of using XR in the field of maintenance training for civil aviation. “In our view, XR technologies such as VR, AR and MR offer great potential to make maintenance training more flexible and practical. However, we are still in the development phase. Thus, we don't have a finished XR product yet, but several projects are underway.” Therein, LTT is taking the “lean start-up” approach, developing its products in close collaboration with trainers, trainees, and customers. “In our view, this is the best way to ensure that we meet the needs of our clients.”

On this count, LTT’s business model is also in synch with similar use cases CAT has reported on, with these organizations realizing early, positive ROIs from this technology and are pressing on.

Richter recalled one big advantage of XR-based training is the flexibility it offers, allowing scenarios to be simulated that would be difficult or impossible to conduct with a real aircraft or engine or other real-life asset due to resource constraints. “For example, the on-wing engine run-up procedure - where the engine is tested at maximum power - could be simulated in a VR environment in the future, eliminating the need for real aircraft,” the corporate executive said and significantly predicted, “In the next five years, we envision that part of this training will be conducted entirely virtually. This could mean that trainees can participate in practical training from home - in the Metaverse. Instead of renting multiple expensive simulators for various aircraft types, a single VR headset could cover different models.”

LTT’s Richter further added one of the biggest challenges still is to replicate the physical training as realistically as possible in virtual environments, in order to meet the strict requirements of aviation authorities, such as the German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) in their case. The manager emphasized, “It is crucial that the methodological, didactic, and qualitative content in XR training is conveyed as if it were being conducted on a real aircraft. Additionally, there is often a shortage of trainers who can support the content and technical development of these new technologies, as the current training workload is very high. At the same time, the development of such XR solutions is still very costly.”

The training enterprise’s XR roadmap also focuses like a laser on workforce considerations. Richter noted beyond the technical and financial challenges, instructors and trainees must also be gradually introduced to these new technologies. “Especially in a hands-on field like maintenance training, acceptance and familiarity with digital tools are crucial. Many of our experienced staff and trainees are very tactile in nature and are initially skeptical of digitalization. Communication, training, and clear instructions are hence key to overcoming this hurdle. It is hence essential for us to highlight the benefits of these new technologies and lower the barriers through targeted training programs.”

One Content Supplier

LTT’s Richter noted his organization “currently uses the Meta Quest 3 as the industry standard for VR headsets. For us, it is particularly important that XR solutions work with open standards to remain flexible and ease the integration of custom-developed applications.”

This October 29, the Meta website listed the cost of a basic Quest 3 headset at $(USD) 499.99 – an apparent move to democratize this materiel for an enterprise.

On the Horizon

LTT and Ten Hammers are encouraged by their early ROIs in using XR and their progress to address lingering challenges. Both teams are on a path to develop a rich mix of XR-based projects.

Richter noted that despite the aforementioned hurdles, work is currently underway at LTT on a VR-based training program for the LEAP-1A engine used on the Airbus A320neo fleet, which is expected to be ready by mid-next year. A Minimum Viable Product (MVP), which will be completed shortly, is intended as the basis for a presentation to the German Federal Aviation Authority to initiate a “deep dive” and proceed with further joint development.

Ten Hammers has a number of developments in the aircraft maintenance pipeline that will be focused on in 2025. Projects at the top of the company’s list included: fuel tank entry training (combining XR with tactile resources); aircraft weight and balancing training; gas turbine engine troubleshooting techniques; aerodynamics for maintenance technicians and other more general activities such as ramp safety.

More Sector Highlights in 2025

The aviation community is on the cusp of further expanding its use of XR for maintenance training. Given this pace of activities the author plans to provide an updated article on the topic in the first-half of 2025.

Community members are invited to contact the author (marty.kauchak@halldale.com) to convey their latest and planned efforts in this training sector.