In an industry first, Lufthansa Group said two of its air crews have completed part of their training on the Airbus A320 using virtual reality technology.
Earlier this month, pilots at Brussels Airlines, a Lufthansa subsidiary, used headsets and VR software known as the “Virtual Procedure Trainer” to simulate real flying scenarios. Unlike conventional “screen-based cockpit” training, the VPT creates an immersive, 3-D environment for trainees to interact with.
The program was developed by Airbus and refined over two years with help from Lufthansa Aviation Training, the airline group’s training academy.
It is the first time that virtual reality has been used in pilot training not just as a supplement but as a replacement for sessions on traditional training devices, such as the Flat Panel Trainer, and without supervision by a training instructor, Lufthansa said.
“VR offers a significantly more realistic and intense training experience,” said Gauthier Lesceu, chief theoretical knowledge instructor at Brussels Airlines. “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.”
Lufthansa officials said the VR training system will be expanded to all 10 operators of the A320 within Lufthansa Group. Airbus plans to further develop the program and use it to train pilots on additional aircraft types, including the A330 and A350.
