The ministry of defense showcased a rather ingenious new of tools which helps training soldiers gain experience in parachuting, the new virtual reality parachute trainer was shown off at a press event at RAF Brize Norton last week.
By using the latest digital imagery it creates an experience and virtual world which allows service personnel to train at parachuting in a safe and cost effective manner.
Wing Commander Stu Williams from the Brize Norton-based Airborne Delivery Wing, responsible for the Parachute Training School, said:”The new simulator is a great example of the RAF’s commitment to providing the most up-to-date and cost effective facilities to deliver realistic training in a safe environment.
Wing Commander Stu Williams did concede that this sort of virtual reality training can never replace real life training, he added: “They do mean we can practise safety procedures over and over again in a controlled, safe and realistic virtual environment, until the student gets it right, improving their overall awareness and training.”
While the MOD is having to wrestle with sizeable cuts to their budgets, they are still investing in technologies that can save the money in the costly training phase of a soldier.
The new trainer allows parachute students to be suspended by harnesses and wear virtual reality goggles to practice jumps in a range of realistic environments.
Instructors are able to simulate rain, fog and snow, and can choose any time of day or night. Wind speed and direction can also be adjusted to make the descent more challenging.
Flight Lieutenant Rich Pike, an instructor at the Parachute Training School at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, said: “The new parachute trainer gives us the ability to put paratroopers through highly realistic simulated parachute descents. Trainees can be familiarised with, and tested on, the correct drills to a level previously only achieved by jumping from an aircraft.
Students are able to jump in three environments and challenges can be introduced to include the proximity of a village, a wooded area, or water. Similarly, the students can practice jumping as individuals or as a ‘stick’ (when a group of parachutists exits the plane one after the other) within the same virtual environment.
What do you think of the latest toy at RAF Brize Norton ? Is this the future of interactive training simulators. And should the MOD be spending money on Virtual Reality when were at war in Afghanistan.
Let us know below.
