A centre for VR flight simulation opens at Santa Monica Airport
The state-of-the-art simulator gives pilots an engaging training experience by using the newest virtual reality technologies in aviation.
Global pioneer in digital aviation modelling, Loft Dynamics, has opened its first virtual reality (VR) simulator centre and first North American offices at Santa Monica Airport (SMO).
Aimed for pilots with varying degrees of expertise, the state-of-the-art simulator makes use of the most recent advancements in aviation simulation technology. It provides a practical means of exposing pilots to the most up-to-date training methods and even gives them the opportunity to fly over famous locations worldwide.
They found that there was a sizable unmet need in the United States for hands-on experience with the available technologies. The logical answer, according to CEO and founder of Loft Dynamics Fabi Riesen, was to create a physical area where people could fly simulators, practise a variety of techniques and fully appreciate the potential of virtual reality technology. He said that the SMO site offers easy accessibility for a significant number of pilots and enhances onsite and remote assistance for the company’s North American clients.
Loft Dynamics, a Dübendorf-based company (previously VRM Switzerland), moved to North America in 2021. Numerous flight training institutions, helicopter employees, and international regulatory bodies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Airbus Helicopters, have incorporated its sims.
Many of these training tools have already been marketed by Loft Dynamics to institutions all around the globe. Blackcomb Helicopters, a rotary wing operator located in Whistler, purchased the technology a few months ago in order to enhance its flying training capabilities while eliminating the safety hazards and carbon emissions associated with in-flight instruction.
The Swiss business offers many simulators, the H125 of which allows training on a single turbine helicopter.
The Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, the world’s biggest municipal airborne law enforcement organisation, has started the process of purchasing an H125 VR FSTD, the business stated during the formal inauguration ceremony.
According to Kevin Gallagher, Chief Pilot, Air Support Division, Los Angeles Police Department, it is very difficult for any pilot to prepare adequately for the risky manoeuvres and variety of circumstances that they fly in these days. He went on to clarify that there is no exemption when it comes to studying and becoming proficient in the techniques required to fly under instrument flight regulations and to withstand an unintentional instrument meteorological conditions flight.
Because Loft Dynamics simulations run on cloud-based software, fresh and useful training situations may be added on a regular basis. Furthermore, the visual technology of the simulator realistically recreates difficult flying situations in a genuine three-dimensional vision, and the full-motion technology faithfully imitates the motion of a helicopter in flight.
These qualities are crucial for providing over 50 pilots with the types of scenarios and manoeuvres they often encounter when flying continuously. According to Gallagher, they may regularly and securely practice to retain expertise in these essential skills thanks to the on-site simulator.
The fully immersive ISO 9001-certified simulators include an interactive six-degree-of-freedom motion platform, a three-dimensional, high-resolution panorama viewpoint, and an authentic-looking cockpit with an innovative posture monitoring system. Compared to conventional flight simulators, each gadget is ten times smaller and twenty times less costly. The VR headgear has a 30 pixel-per-degree display, 2 × 8 megapixel resolution, and a 90Hz frame rate in 3D.
