Abstract

The incorporation of immersive technologies into student pilot training has been hindered by a lack of empirical evidence to support their efficacy. Existing research on virtual reality flight simulators is limited in scope, predominantly focused on single-users in small, piston-engine aircraft, with little concern for its application to commercial pilot operations. This paper initiates the process to evaluate a virtual reality flight simulator to train ab-initio pilots in a multi-crew environment using a complex jet aircraft. Proof of concept was demonstrated by satisfactory usability, fidelity, and collaboration in a two-pilot virtual reality flight simulator. Participants in the virtual environment exhibited reduced workload (effort) in comparison to a desktop flight simulator, indicating a potential decrease in cognitive processing. This in turn suggests enhanced spatial memory, corroborated by measures of heightened team situational awareness in the virtual environment. The benefits of these findings are numerous, including the potential for a virtual reality flight simulator to supplement traditional pilot training methods.