New App Brings Flight Deck to Pilots Anywhere

Global aviation training leader CAE believes it has become the first to develop an immersive pilot training app for Apple Vision Pro. CAE’s Apple Vision Pro app, is currently being showcased at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Nevada, now through 24 October. By using spatial computing to bring true-to-life precision to flight deck interactions, the app will allow pilots to remotely complete training activities that are currently only available in training centres. As part of CAE’s training ecosystem, the app aims to further increase the effectiveness and speed of training pilots safely and will also enable pilots to train anytime from anywhere.

"This Apple Vision Pro app developed by CAE will allow pilots to familiarize themselves with the flight deck, practice critical procedures, and develop muscle memory for key functions from anywhere,” said Emmanuel Levitte, CAE’s Chief Technology and Product Officer. “It will allow pilots to engage with realistic flight deck environments to further ensure they are ready for their full-flight simulator sessions and become even better prepared for any situation.”

“The power and unique capabilities of Apple Vision Pro, combined with CAE’s training environment, will give pilots more flexibility and better prepare them for the transition from ground school to the simulator,” said Alexandre Prévost, CAE’s Division President, Business Aviation Training. “With CAE’s Apple Vision Pro app, we are not only providing our customers more convenience, but are also enhancing training efficiency at a time when the aviation industry faces an increased need to train new pilots.”

In “Exploration Mode”, a pilot can touch a specific control and view a description of that control in context. In “Guided Mode”, the user is led to learn the various procedures of the aircraft, guiding the pilot to the next action required to learn the sequences. In “Flight Deck Interaction Mode”, pilots can use the virtual flight deck to simulate any kind of interaction in a natural way and begin to train their muscle memory. In the real aircraft, for example, the main battery switch needs to be pulled before being flipped. The same can be done in this spatial computing experience.

CAE’s training app has the ability to be programmed for any aircraft type to complement existing CAE solutions for both business and commercial pilot training. The app is currently being tested on the Bombardier Global 7500 program and is scheduled to be rolled out in Spring 2025.