Enhancing Pilot ‘Mission’ Projection Through a Virtual Reality Flight Simulator: A Quasi-Transfer of Training Study

The purported benefits of Virtual Reality for pilot flight simulator training, such as increased immersion and presence, would be of great benefit in training those flight skills that rely on visuospatial awareness. The implementation of this technology for the training of pilots requires careful consideration of its ability to transfer required skills and of any comparative advantages over conventional flight simulators. In order to examine this question, a quasi-transfer-of-training study was conducted using a separate-sample pretest–posttest design. The ability of a low-cost VR simulator to transfer flying skills and mission projection skills, using internally valid measures, during a common flight manoeuvre was evaluated. Results were consistent with improved post-intervention flying performance (g = 0.875) and ‘mission projection’ performance (g = 0.661), with no statistically significant difference between the estimated effect sizes, as well as the combined measure (g = 0.768). The findings indicate that the VR simulator was associated with better performance in the quasi-transfer of basic flying skills, those skills that require understanding of spatial relationships based on visual information, and in the broader training of technique. These findings must, however, be considered in the context of the noted limitations of the technology and the research design.