Alaska Airlines has announced an investment in Loft Dynamics, a virtual flight training provider, to support the development of a full-motion Boeing 737 virtual reality (VR) simulator using extended reality technology and techniques.
The investment was made through Alaska Star Ventures with the goal of enhancing Alaska’s pilot training programme and “informing future training solutions across the industry”.
VR simulators are evolving as an alternative to traditional legacy machines. They are smaller, cheaper, scaleable, and therefore likely to be more accessible.
Captain Jeff Severns, Managing Director of Flight Operations Training at Alaska Airlines, said: “These VR simulators could provide a fully immersive, high-fidelity, data-driven experience that replicates real-world flight scenarios — all in a device compact enough to fit in a standard office. This accessibility could allow pilots to train more frequently and refine their skills with greater efficiency. We are committed to offering the most advanced training solutions available, including VR, and look forward to being Loft’s first fixed-wing customer.”
“By investing in the development of full-motion VR simulators, Alaska is once again moving the industry forward,” said Fabi Riesen, founder and CEO at Loft Dynamics. “With aviation safety as a top priority and a global pilot shortage still looming, this partnership paves the way for airlines worldwide to train the next generation of exceptional pilots more efficiently and effectively than ever before.”
“Pilot training has significantly evolved over the past 30 years, from training solely in an aircraft to using full-flight simulators. With the potential of Loft’s hyper-realistic VR simulator, we could be transforming commercial pilot training as we know it today,” added Alaska’s Capt. Severns.
Once the VR simulators are developed, built and approved by the FAA over the next few years, Alaska and Loft plan to install them at individual Alaska bases for pilot training.
“Over time, this technology would enable us to bring critical training closer to the pilot base, reducing unnecessary travel and time while delivering industry-leading pilot training. It represents a paradigm shift and has the potential to dramatically enhance the quality of commercial pilot training,” said Pasha Saleh, Director of Corporate Development at Alaska Airlines.
Main features of full-motion VR simulators
- Six-degrees-of-freedom full-motion platform with improved pilot motion cueing that replicates real-world physics, force feedback from flight controls and all haptic sensations of the aircraft.
- A 360-degree panoramic 3D view, providing correct visual cues inside and outside the aircraft.
- Advanced full-body pose tracking, allowing pilots to see their hand and body movements in real-time within the VR environment.
- Customisable training scenarios and environments enable pilots to practice in any situation and condition and manoeuvre safely and realistically.
- Compact size, requiring 1/12th the space of legacy full-flight simulators, allowing for increased accessibility and flexibility.
- Virtual demonstration mode, which lets instructors record immersive lessons — including visuals, audio and control inputs — for pilots to replay and learn from during future simulator sessions.
- LoftSPATIAL app for Apple Vision Pro, which, when connected to the simulator, enables pilots to use spatial computing to train anytime, anywhere.
Photos: Alaska Airways, Rob Munro
The flight deck of a traditional Boeing 737 MAX flight simulator. Virtual simulators are smaller, cheaper and easier to access.
