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Virtual training |
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The loadmaster virtual reality simulator was brimming with people excitedly trying out the new equipment at an open day held on March 30 in Oakey. Sgt David Meehan, a loadmaster at AAvnTC, said there were great advantages to using the simulator. “We can train potential loadmasters in the simulator so they can go out into the real environment having a heads up before they fly in an aircraft,” he said. “It’s also useful if a trainee is falling behind. Instead of using aircraft hours to retrain them, we can use the simulator to concentrate on the area where the member is falling behind.” The Army will receive a total of six simulators worth $1.2 million. Two have been delivered to Oakey and another four systems are being built to be delivered to Townsville and Holsworthy later this year. The machines simulate the Black Hawk, MRH 90, Chinook and Iroquois helicopters and are designed for the aviation community to train loadmasters and maintain currency on those aircraft types. It’s not meant to reduce flying hours or replace training. Members will undergo the basics of the training in the simulator, allowing more time to practice advanced procedures in the aircraft. “It’s just enhancing the training that we do,” Sgt Meehan said. The project was approved in early 2006 and development of the simulator was conducted in close cooperation with the aviation corps and the Army Simulation Wing to make sure that what would be delivered met training needs. |
