Main Subcommittee Category
SimulationHow would you label your submission?
GovernmentAbstract
The aviation training community has long held physical replication as the benchmark for simulator effectiveness. Physical fidelity is the gold standard, measuring any interactive element by how closely it looks, feels, and moves compared to its simulated aircraft. The advent of virtual reality (VR) simulation has shifted the conversation somewhat, allowing some elements of fidelity to move into the virtual space. However, full adoption of VR is still being hindered by the lack of data proving its effectiveness as a training medium. Over the last five years a natural experiment has been underway in the Air Force, specifically at Vance AFB with VR simulators. The Air Force has been using full VR simulators utilizing a COTS stick and throttle modeled off two different fighter aircraft and a generic set of rudder pedals as the only flight hardware elements. These immersive training devices (ITDs) rely wholly on mental immersion for training value. Since 2020 these devices have been fully integrated into the training syllabi. Recent reviews of these syllabi and associated student data have identified a common point across the several syllabus changes from the last half decade where the effect of VR training can effectively be evaluated. This research evaluated the records of the first aircraft sortie, commonly referred to as the ‘Dollar Ride’, for students spanning three separate syllabi. The data showed that VR training has a strong and positive impact on student performance across all graded aspects of flying. The data also highlights the positive impact continues across the first three syllabus sorties. This paper presents evidence for a strong correlation between the mental immersion provided by VR simulation and improved student performance, suggesting that it may be time for the flying community to reevaluate the emphasis placed on physical fidelity as a guiding standard for simulator training.