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Loft Dynamics Becomes World’s First VR Flight Simulation Training Device to Receive FAA Qualification
Loft Dynamics recently announced the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has qualified its VR simulator — the first FAA-qualified VR FSTD in the United States. This achievement is a landmark in aviation safety and a pivotal step in bringing advanced flight simulation technology to pilots and operators nationwide amid intensifying demand for pilots. It also cements VR’s increasingly influential role in the future of U.S. pilot training. Outside the U.S., Loft Dynamics is the first and only VR simulator to achieve qualification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
For the first time, U.S. helicopter pilots can train and receive credit toward pilot ratings on an FAA-approved VR FSTD, provided it is a Loft Dynamics VR FSTD. This qualification allows the simulator to be used not only for training in engine failures, abnormal and emergency procedures, and instrument approaches, but also for challenging maneuvers such as sling load operations, pinnacle operations and more.
The FAA’s rigorous qualification process requires FSTDs to be evaluated in accordance with 14 CFR Part 60 and meet extensive operational requirements. The FAA evaluated Loft Dynamics’ VR simulator using its Airbus-approved H125 VR FSTD at Marshall University. Qualified as a flight training device, Loft Dynamics’ H125 VR simulator features a full-scale virtual replica cockpit, a panoramic 360-degree view, verified flight modeling, and a six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform that accurately simulates flight visuals, movements, and scenarios. These FSTDs are smaller and significantly more cost-effective than traditional simulators. All pilots in the U.S. are required to train regularly in an aircraft or flight simulator, which is why the qualification of Loft Dynamics’ simulator is a crucial step toward helping more operators conduct this training and address the growing pilot shortage, and is why regulatory agencies are embracing and mandating the use of the company’s FSTDs.
Last year, the FAA installed Loft Dynamics simulators at its William J. Hughes Technical Center (WHTC) to advance the
28 July/Aug 2024
safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability goals of its Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). As part of this initiative, the agency uses the simulator to conduct vertical flight safety research, including engaging hundreds of test pilots to fly the simulator.
The FAA’s approval of the first VR simulator shifts pilot training paradigms, expanding access to the most immersive, customizable, and scalable training solutions. This is also a pivotal moment for Loft Dynamics, as the company is already developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and airplane simulators, broadening its industry impact and value.
“The FAA’s and EASA’s unprecedented qualifications of our technology reinforce the safety and fidelity of VR for pilot training,” said Fabi Riesen, founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics. “It provides a tangible path to solving the world’s pilot shortage and cultivating the next generation of high-quality pilots. We’re not paving this path alone; we’re grateful for Airbus Helicopters’ conviction in Loft Dynamics, dedication to achieving FAA qualification, and commitment to making our FSTDs available to the masses. We’re grateful to the FAA for their support and commitment to improving the trajectory of simulation technology and pilot training. This is an important initial step for modernizing pilot training, and it also signifies a broader industry shift toward leveraging our VR technology to address global challenges.”
Loft Dynamics’ recent opening of its North American headquarters in Santa Monica, California, has established a base for its continental expansion, now accelerated by the FAA qualification. The company’s growing market trust is evidenced by its customers and partners, including the Los Angeles Police Department, which uses its H125 VR simulator to train its pilots safely and effectively, and Airbus Helicopters, which co-developed the H125 VR simulator and supported its FAA qualification through sponsorship under their Part 142 Certificate.
Riesen further said, “We spent the past year ensuring our technology meets regulatory requirements and thoughtfully
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