Ground Operators VR Training
It takes thousands of employees in airport ground operations to keep planes flying safely and on time. Ground handling is a complex practice, requiring powerful training solutions to keep airlines nimble and safe. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has outlined a series of reference materials for Ground Handling, so in a similar vein, we wanted to highlight some of the ways Virtual Reality training can help ground handling teams train in a powerful way?
What does VR Training Provide for Ground Operator Training?
Hands-on Experience
A VR training program allows trainees to actually perform the operations required for aircraft support. Interacting with and understanding how equipment works in the context of their operations gives tangible experience. The opportunity for a ground staff to understand their hardware even before heading out to an airport can be a great boost for training.
Realism
Modern VR headsets have the ability to recreate environments with the highest realism possible. A virtual reality training simulation is significantly more engaging and accessible than the classroom, and ground handlers can practice key skills as if they were on the tarmac.
The ability for ground staff to see the environment they will be working in and to interact with it in training is a powerful tool. A realistic environment increases knowledge retention, and trainees get a sense of preparation without the need for physical aircraft mockups, all you need is a VR Headset.
Safety
Traditional aviation training can be dangerous. Risks go past crowded cargo areas and attempting to recreate the weight of risks in a traditional training environment is complicated and typically expensive.
The benefits come in when you can simulate these situations during training while still being immersed in a very realistic environment. A ground crew team can inspect and train on aircraft equipment without having to worry about safety at that time.
Timeliness
With VR training, aircraft and equipment operators can operate on an airport ramp without having to actually be approved by the FAA. It often takes some time to get employees badged and able to work in aircraft operations. With virtual reality, they can work on equipment that might not otherwise be available for quite some time. Therefore, learners can get up to speed easier and more efficiently.
Modular Design based on Your Needs
A VR training program is not all or nothing. Based on a companies scope, modules can be developed and training scenarios can be designed in a way that doesn’t require company-wide adoption in the first project.
The advantage of this is the ability to develop whichever processes are actually needed for trainers, and in turn, this allows businesses to control how much a VR training program will cost.
Modules can include many pieces of broad training needed, like where to and where not to stand, down to extremely specific procedures like how to latch and unlatch the tow hook that connects to the front wheel of a plane. VR can enable a training program to be agile and impactful
VR’s Solutions to Traditional Ground Ops Training Challenges
Areas can be noisy and dangerous.
Virtual Reality is a fully immersive, distraction-free training environment.
Training cannot be performed at night or during intense weather conditions.
Virtual Reality training can be performed anytime, anywhere.
Abnormal scenarios are difficult to produce in real life.
In Virtual Reality, anything is possible.
On-the-job training programs are hard to replicate consistently.
VR Training is very repeatable, and it can be performed in the same fashion over and over for trainees.
How we Tackle Ground Operations Training
We’ve worked in the airlines sector to provide our clients with cost-effective virtual reality training solutions that tackled their challenges and achieved key goals to revamp their L&D.
It is our mission to develop procedural training programs that empower employees to master skill sets using our Learn, Practice, Test approach. If you’re interested in learning more about how virtual reality training can revamp your L&D, read up on our case study with Delta Airlines below.
