In an airline industry first, one European carrier is training its pilots in a whole new way.
Brussels Airlines, which is part of the Lufthansa Group, has rolled out virtual reality training for some of its pilots. Lufthansa's aviation training arm collaborated with Airbus to develop the VR software over the course of two years, and Brussels Airlines is the first customer to use it. The Belgian carrier is deploying the new VR technology to train pilots who operate its A320 planes.
The technology had been in a test phase until early July, when two Brussels Airlines crews successfully completed part of their A320 Type Rating using the VR-based training program. That milestone marks the first time that VR has ever been used in pilot training without an instructor and as a total replacement for traditional training devices, like a flat panel trainer, according to Lufthansa Group.
The new technology is also more immersive than screen-based cockpit training, Lufthansa Group says, and it creates a more realistic 3D environment for trainees.
“VR offers a significantly more realistic and intense training experience,” said Captain Gauthier Lesceu, Brussels Airlines’ chief theoretical knowledge instructor. “Our pilots can autodidactically practice procedures early and repeatedly, build muscle memory, and gain situational confidence – an ideal preparation for the simulator phase with increased effectiveness and reduced infrastructure requirements.”
Following the tech’s implementation with Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa Group plans to eventually introduce VR training to 10 of its airlines that operate the Airbus A320 plane in seven training locations. Those would include carriers such a Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, and Edelweiss Air.
For now, the VR system will be used to train pilots on normal, standard operating procedures. But Lufthansa Group is also working to further develop the system to support training on abnormal procedures (which would include emergencies) and additional Airbus aircraft, like the A330 and A350 planes.
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