Extended reality (xR) flight simulators as an adjunct to traditional flight training methods: a scoping review

Abstract

Over the next 20 years, it is predicted that an additional 760,000 new pilots will be needed to meet the growing demands of the global aviation industry. With current training capability, this may be difficult to achieve. A potential means of improving the efficiency and lowering the cost of flight training, which arguably may be prohibitively expensive to many potential trainee pilots, is to use extended reality simulation in place of traditional flight simulators and aircraft for at least some of the required training. To provide a better understanding of the possibilities in this regard, and where current research has advanced, a scoping review was undertaken. In total, 18 studies were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. It was concluded that extended reality technology has the potential to be successfully employed in flight training—saving time and money, whilst also enabling increased training capability, although some potential limitations were identified. The interest in this technology, combined with evidence pointing to its potential usefulness in flight training, suggests that further examination in this area by academia and industry is warranted.

Prediction of Training Cost and Difficulty for Aircraft-Type Transition Based on Similarity Assessment

“…Considering that training costs are affected by annual price fluctuations and standardized training programs of airlines, it is more practical to classify training costs. Based on the recommendations of relevant professionals, this study grades training costs in 2020 according to the following intervals: [0, 5), [5,15), [15,25), [25,35), and [35, ∞), which correspond to the five grades A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The cost grades for the six tranche types of training are shown in Table 9.…”

“…training costs in 2020 according to the following intervals: [0,5), [5,15), [15,25), [25,35), and [35,∞), which correspond to the five grades A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The cost grades for the six tranche types of training are shown in Table 9.…”

“…The results show that PTN innovations have not only resulted in significant cost savings for the U.S. Air Force but these savings also accrue annually. Glen Ross [15] [22] proposed an evaluation method that combines fuzzy comprehensive evaluation with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess the competency of pilots during flight training. The analysis of the evaluation results indicated that this method is an effective integration of subjective and objective approaches, aligning with the subjective scores given by instructors.…”

Flightcrew Procedures Experimental Training: Simulation Testbed Design, Development, & Interactive Demonstration

“…The conventional progression of flightcrew training (i.e., ground-to-flight, classroom-to-simulator) supports these requirements. However, training organizations have become more accepting of modern training technologies and learning approaches to address training efficiency and logistics needs (Ross, 2022). The potential for extended reality (XR), and specifically virtual reality (VR), configurations to fulfill niches throughout the flightcrew training cycle (Schaffernak et al, 2022), supported by preliminary findings of their efficacy for flightcrew-relevant training (Kaplan et al 2020), have challenged aviation, as an industry, to specify which technologies and approaches should be used for specific topics/tasks, under what contexts, and how these configurations may be leveraged to provide an equivalent level of training and safety to conventional training processes (Sonnenfeld et al, 2021).…”