Flight Training - July 2015 - 15

NEWS

Virtual flights, real communications

BY SARAH DEENER

Pilots practice skills with interactive technology

PLUS Watch pilots fly with Mindstar in this video.
CLOUDS, RAIN, AND the threat of thunderstorms curbed operations at Leesburg
Executive Airport in Virginia April 3-but inside the terminal, the frequency was alive
with activity.
In the offices of flight simulation software company Mindstar Aviation (www.
mindstaraviation.com), Av-Ed Flight School instructor Greg Ashby was acting as air
traffic control for the virtual flights of real pilots in the region. Monitoring three flights
on a large-screen, radar-like display, he toggled between frequencies giving instructions
for landing at and departing the airport, located within the Washington, D.C., Special
Flight Rules Area.
Pilots at Internet-connected Redbird simulators in the National Capital Area Flight
Simulation Network (http://scenarios.communityaviation.com/flight-simulationnetwork) could practice their communications skills in a virtual environment created
by Mindstar, where pilots could see one another as traffic in the windscreen and communicate the way they would in real-world scenarios. From March 20 through April
19, workers at Mindstar headquarters manned tower and approach frequencies in this
virtual world; the company plans to expand the program to other regions and hopes the
technology will empower instructors by connecting them to students even when they
aren't physically there.
Seated at the AOPA National Aviation Community Center in Frederick, Maryland,
AOPA Aviation Activities Specialist Brenda Tibbs flew a Redbird Jay desktop simulator
into the virtual airspace on a Friday to help demonstrate the software. Her groundspeed, squawk code, direction, and N number appeared on Ashby's screen in Leesburg,
where he was able to measure her distance and direction from the Leesburg airport
with a drag of a mouse. User-friendly features like these enable pilots to play the role
of controller without extensive training, according to Mindstar Aviation President and
CEO Stasi Poulos. When his company rolls out the AirspaceVR communications software to a wider market, he said, flight instructors will be able to act as air traffic control
for one or many students, even from their home computer.
With software that works with Microsoft Flight Simulator as well as Redbird aviation
training devices, Mindstar plans to expand AirspaceVR beyond Washington, D.C., on a
subscription basis. The company also aims to develop similar networks in other areas
of the country by training leaders in those areas to take on the role of ATC.

JULY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - July 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - July 2015