DALLAS — Alaska Airlines (AS) has announced an investment in Loft Dynamics to develop the first hyper-realistic, full-motion Boeing 737 VR simulator that employs extended reality (XR) technology and techniques.
Loft Dynamics is a virtual flight training company and the developer of the only FAA- and EASA-qualified virtual reality (VR) helicopter flight simulator. The airline investment will be funneled through Alaska Star Ventures, the airline’s corporate venture capital arm.
The carrier will use its expertise in training pilot programs to inform the development of the VR simulator. The goal is to enhance the AS pilot training program and inform future training solutions across the industry.
The promise is that VR simulator would give pilot training an “immersive, high-fidelity experience and compact size, allowing for more frequent and efficient skill refinement.”
Capt. Jeff Severns, Managing Director of Flight Operations Training, Alaska Airlines, said that once the VR simulators are developed, built, and approved, Alaska and Loft aim to install them at individual Alaska bases for pilot training.
The Technology at a Glance
The state-of-the-art simulators will feature:
- A six-degrees-of-freedom full-motion platform featuring enhanced pilot motion cueing that accurately replicates real-world physics, provides force feedback from flight controls, and simulates 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 enables pilots to observe their hand and body movements in real-time within the VR environment.
- Customizable training scenarios and environments, enabling pilots to practice any situation, condition, and maneuver safely and realistically.
- Compact size, requiring 1/12th the space of legacy full-flight simulators, allowing for increased accessibility and flexibility.
- Virtual demonstration mode allows instructors to 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.
Comments from Alaska Airlines, Loft Dynamics
Pasha Saleh, Director of Corporate Development, Alaska Airlines, said, “The eventual Boeing 737 VR simulator will be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval—likely in the next few years. In the interim, Alaska and Loft plan to explore training enhancement opportunities for pilots that would function as a supplement to existing FAA-required training.”
Fabi Riesen, Founder and CEO , Loft Dynamics, said, Traditional full-motion simulators have long been the gold standard for airline training, providing an essential and proven method for pilot instruction. However, their substantial footprint, high cost, and operational constraints limit scalability and accessibility. As airlines, operators, and regulators seek more flexible solutions, VR is emerging as a powerful and influential solution.”
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