RAeS Conference Returns in Force

After three years, the Flight Simulation Conference will be hosted again this 22-23 October at the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) in London. Due to the pandemic, the yearly conference had to be postponed a few times. The two-day conference will cover pressing simulation topics like regulation, the use of AI, and digital twins. The full conference schedule is now available, and ticket sales have started.

This year's keynote session is particularly significant, as RAeS will be discussing the latest updates to EASA Certification Specification for Flight Simulation Training Devices (CS-FSTD) and a revised Part ORA/ARA that will significantly impact how flight simulators can be qualified for training. These latest regulations are partly based on ICAO 9625, originally conceived and championed by the RAeS Flight Simulation Specialist Group (FSG). The conference will provide briefings from the people directly involved in producing these new regulations with an opportunity to ask questions and better understand their content and impact.

The first day will also include a session on Virtual Test Environments and Digital Twins, where experts will discuss the design and maintenance of effective test environments. The session will also cover the principles and practices of Certification by Simulation, discussing what can be achieved through simulation and the limits of its applicability. Participants will present case studies from current projects that use virtual and hybrid testing methods.

The second day will begin with a session on the Use of AI and Data in Pilot Training. This session will discuss how data can be used to assess airmanship, with case studies illustrating the benefits and challenges of pilot training tools. It will also cover real-world training examples where AI is employed, such as SATCE, and the latest research on using AI entities in military training. The session will explore how AI-powered adaptive learning can be integrated into pilot training programs.

The final session will focus on new developments in Modelling and Simulation. It will examine how virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies (VR/AR/MR), along with commercial off-the-shelf equipment and gaming platforms like Unreal, are transforming the way simulations are created. The session will also look at how simulation is used to integrate AR and AI into the flightdeck, considering the potential impact of these technologies on pilot training. There will be examples of various studies and pilot training programs that utilize VR and MR in civil aviation pilot training.

More than thirty presentations are scheduled from professionals working at companies like Leonardo, Thales, and CAE.

Edwin A. Link Named Lecture

The first day of the conference will end with the Edwin A. Link Named Lecture, starting at 6 p.m. Edwin Link created the first flight simulator and championed the technology before, during, and after the Second World War. This year's lecture will be delivered by Group Captain Ruari Henderson-Begg, the first Chief Modelling and Simulation Officer for the RAF. Following the lecture, there will be a networking reception.

More information can be found here.