Project Avenger: VR, Big Data Sharpen Navy Pilot Training

WASHINGTON: A new flight training program that relies heavily on VR simulations and detailed data is getting Navy trainees better prepared for real cockpits, with some students qualifying for their first solo flight in less than half the time the traditional curriculum requires. Simulations don't just give trainees plenty of digital dress rehearsals before they climb into a physical aircraft, Navy officials told the vIITSEC simulation & training conference Wednesday. Already, big-data analytics are helping instructors and training-unit commanders better understand their students' progress. As the technology improves in the near future, artificially intelligent algorithms could track every aspect of a trainee's performance in simulation, then provide detailed feedback on what to fix. "Project Avenger is our first experimental proof-of-concept class," said Rear Adm. Robert Westendorff.