Alaska Airlines has announced an investment to develop the first hyper-realistic, full-motion Boeing 737 virtual reality (VR) simulator. The simulator will employ extended reality (XR) technology to enhance Alaska Airlines’ commercial pilot training program.
The Boeing 737 VR simulator is being developed by Loft Dynamics. The Swiss aviation simulation company, known for creating the only FAA- and EASA-approved VR helicopter flight simulator, will now use its knowledge to develop a VR simulator for fixed-wing aircraft with the support of Alaska’s pilot training team.
The new simulator will integrate advanced technologies such as a six-degrees-of-freedom full-motion platform with force feedback and haptic sensations, 360-degree panoramic 3D visuals for realistic spatial awareness, and full-body pose tracking for precise in-simulator movements. It will also offer customizable training scenarios and environments, along with a virtual demonstration mode that enables instructors to record and replay training sessions.
Compared to standard B737 simulators, the proposed VR simulator will offer a compact footprint that requires just one-twelfth of the space. This smaller size could allow simulators to be deployed at individual Alaska Airlines bases, giving pilots more frequent opportunities to refine their skills.
The long-term goal is to gain FAA certification, but in the meantime, the focus will be on enhancing existing FAA-approved programs with additional training features.
“Pilot training has significantly evolved over the past 30 years, from training solely in an aircraft to using full-flight simulators. With the potential of Loft’s hyper-realistic VR simulator, we could be transforming commercial pilot training as we know it today,” said Jeff Severns, Managing Director of Flight Operations Training at Alaska Airlines.
“These VR simulators could provide a fully immersive, high-fidelity, data-driven experience that replicates real-world flight scenarios — all in a device compact enough to fit in a standard office. […] We are committed to offering the most advanced training solutions available, including VR, and look forward to being Loft’s first fixed-wing customer,” Severns concluded.
According to an Alaska Airlines statement, the investment was made through Alaska Star Ventures, the airline’s corporate venture capital arm.
