FL Technics presents VR module for aviation mechanics training
Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO at FL Technics
Integrated aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul service provider FL Technics, part of Avia Solutions Group, has begun implementing virtual reality (VR) modules for the basic training of aviation mechanics. Its first module, covering the opening of the reverse thrust engine of the 737NG, has been presented and the company is set to expand its list of modules in the coming months.
Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO at FL Technics, explained the innovation in a statement from the company. “Our main goal is to reduce the time it takes new mechanics to enroll in the company. Globally the industry struggles with the three-month long enrollment process needed for aviation mechanics," he said. :So that’s why we are pushing to shorten that process as much as we can, and we aim to try to get it down to three weeks. Once we’ve reached that target, we’ll be looking into the possibilities of taking our training product to market.”
In the VR module, the trainee mechanic proceeds through the series of tasks necessary for the opening of the engine, starting with the mechanic selecting the right tools, then opening the covers, opening the reverse, and inserting the safety lock. They can also select whether or not they require in simulation guidance. FL Technics has worked to ensure that the simulator is as accurate and realistic as possible, even recording any financial damage that would have been done to the aircraft as a result of the trainee’s performance.
Ramunas Paskevicius, Head of IT and Innovations at FL Technics, who is heading up the company's VR initiative, also noted: “We are currently testing the modules in-house and this will give us a better idea of how they fit into the business. As the general demand for professional mechanics in the aviation industry is constantly growing, we are hoping to make the process shorter and prepare mechanics as fast as possible with no loss in quality. I am sure that our VR modules will help us to achieve all our goals.”
This release is part of the company’s already successful strategy for reducing the enrollment time needed for new aviation mechanics. The adaptation course that FL Technics created for onboarding new mechanics has already cut the enrollment process by nearly a month.
Paskevicius continued: “Despite the fact that our special enrollment course is working, we still want to make the process faster. And, of course, new technologies are extremely valuable in this situation. A few years ago, very few professionals in the industry believed in the ideas for the future that I was presenting. Now we can see the results and how rapidly the technology has advanced. I am sure we can use it to our advantage.”
