Exail Sees Growing Potential For Virtual Reality In Simulation

LE BOURGET—French company Exail sees growing potential for virtual reality to be used in flight and maintenance simulators, its managing director Charles Le Bot tells ShowNews. 

French aviation training specialist ICARE recently selected Exail’s next-generation EASA FTD2/FNPT II simulator for the training of its customers’ A320 pilots.  

Exail’s EASA FTD2/FNPT II training simulator is expected to be delivered on July 6 before obtaining its DGAC (French Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile) certification in July. 

Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&I) also recently selected Exail to design and deliver a full flight simulator for the training of the French Air and Space Force Aircrews flying the E-3F AWACS (Airborne, Warning and Control System) as a part of its cockpit upgrade program. 

The company sees growing potential for VR in improving training in the industry, with the possibility of offering a more immersive experience at a lower cost.  

“We have added virtual reality goggles to be able to see mixed reality. You see the material environment such as the cockpit, your hands, in ‘real’ but anything exterior is virtual reality,” Le Bot says. “Virtual reality is not yet something that is approved for pilot training. It’s being studied and the regulations should and will evolve. We are at the start of VR technology to be able to integrate it into training within the regulations.” 

Further ahead, Exail, which also makes Boeing 737 simulators, sees the potential that VR technology could replace some existing simulation technologies. “We already have the technological bricks in place,” Le Bot says.  

The training segment is set to experience strong demand. “Airbus is growing its A320 production to 75 per month. Depending on the airline, 10-16 pilots are needed per aircraft. There is a big need for pilots and a big shortage of pilots,” Le Bot says. “Around 11-13,000 ab initio pilots are needed worldwide per year and we want to position ourselves in this market.”