CAE is eyeing the expansion of its virtual reality (VR) maintenance training programs as it dives into new technologies that it believes will foster greater competency, adaptability, and safety. The training specialist has already rolled out its latest VR technology and simulation via the cloud for its Gulfstream G500/600 and G650 as well as its Dassault Falcon 6X maintenance training programs.
Shaun Kuldip, global leader of CAE’s Maintenance Training Centre of Excellence, noted that the company has used VR for about a year now, and based on feedback from the Gulfstream and Falcon customers, the intent is to deploy the technology across other aircraft curriculums.
Under the VR program, technicians can experience the entire aircraft in a virtual environment, Kuldip said. The technology enables CAE to create detailed digital twins, providing insight into the aircraft systems, components, and procedures in an immersive simulation.
CAE believes this helps build technician skills and confidence in a safe setting before touching an aircraft. They do not have to fear damaging expensive parts or putting wear and tear on sensitive components. “Maintenance tasks that are safety-sensitive or cost-prohibitive are now available for technicians to practice as much as they require,” Kuldip said.
CAE’s program introduces VR through various teaching modes, he said, including an evaluation mode that enables the students to independently measure their skills and an instructor-led mode to guide students through various tasks.
Technicians can perform maintenance tasks in this virtual environment in several teaching modes, including an evaluation mode that allows technicians to measure their skills independently. An instructor-led mode guides students through the various steps to perform certain troubleshooting tasks
Calling the training “a high-value solution,” CAE said VR is offering numerous benefits such as reducing the need for physical equipment, minimizing aircraft downtime, and providing a means for cost-effective practice. In addition, VR can be adapted to new aircraft and maintenance programs.
“VR can transport maintenance technicians to places on an aircraft that were not possible before,” Kuldip said. "During a theoretical portion of a course, we can now bring an entire aircraft ‘into’ the classroom and show levels of detail that prior to VR were very difficult to achieve.”
This helps provide a better understanding of spatial navigation on aircraft and how aircraft components and systems interact. Combining this with other simulation products, CAE can not only show how the aircraft works under “normal conditions” but also specific situations or malfunctions.
Further, the learning time is reduced through this type of training. “When you tie the recent real-life aircraft technical occurrences with the use of simulation, a realistic scenario can be used in the classroom that mimics something you may very well expect to see while working on an actual aircraft,” he said.
Response from customers has been positive thus far. “Customers love being able to bring an aircraft inside of the classroom environment,” he said.
Regulators also are seeing the benefits of VR, and many authorities are permitting its use in limited capacity, he added. “As we gather more data that show an effective way to transfer information to students other than being in an actual aircraft environment, we will work with the regulators to make changes to the guidance materials they use for us to follow,” he said.
Kuldip sees the potential for VR to universally expand. “As aviation organizations increasingly recognize the potential of VR in accelerating learning, the technology is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of learning and training methodologies for aircraft technicians,” he said. “The future convergence of AI and VR represents a transformative synergy which will revolutionize how we build immersive training and skills-development solutions within the aviation industry.”
He added aviation is one of the industries where the adoption of emerging technologies such as VR and AI is accelerating.
He cited as an example CAE’s Rise technology, which uses metrics-based insights and telemetry data to provide instructors with objective data during live training. This enables them to evaluate soft skills. CAE Rise is being used for pilot training but could potentially be used in maintenance technician and other training programs in the future, he said.
These types of technologies are particularly important as the industry seeks to attract new talent. CAE’s 2023 Aviation Talent Forecast predicts a need for 402,000 new maintenance technicians throughout aviation by 2032, including 74,000 in business aviation.
“I think the industry is unfortunately seen as less attractive for new job seekers,” Kuldip said. “Since Covid, the graduation rates at aviation maintenance technical schools are not keeping pace with the numbers retiring.” With incoming technicians lagging the wave of retirements, a “perfect storm” is brewing, he said.
However, new technologies can make training more accessible around the globe and yield benefits. It also is part of CAE’s efforts to produce new and innovative ways to accelerate a student’s ramp-up time.
“How do we cram four years of training experience into two years? The answer includes our modular training, which we will be announcing very soon, and leveraging new technologies like VR that resonate with the youth of today to better retain knowledge.”