Japan – Loft Dynamics, a leader in virtual reality flight training solutions, has achieved FTD Level 7 qualification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) for its Airbus H125 TXi VR simulator installed at Nakanihon Air’s headquarters at Nagoya Airport — marking the first FTD Level 7-qualified VR helicopter simulator in Japan and Loft Dynamics’ first simulator installation in the Asia-Pacific region.
- JCAB joins the FAA and EASA in qualifying Loft Dynamics’ VR flight training system, making it the third major aviation authority to certify the technology at the highest helicopter FTD qualification level.
- Nakanihon Air, one of Japan’s largest helicopter operators supporting emergency medical transport, disaster response, and aerial infrastructure inspection, becomes the first operator in Asia-Pacific to integrate the Loft Dynamics FTD Level 7 VR simulator into its pilot training program.
- The simulator enables pilots to rehearse scenarios including engine failures, autorotation landings, tail rotor failures, and hydraulic system malfunctions in an immersive VR cockpit with a full-motion platform across varied terrain and weather conditions. A technical crew member station enables coordinated training between pilots and mission specialists for operations such as sling loads.
- Japan is one of the largest helicopter markets in Asia, where access to high-fidelity qualified helicopter simulator training has been limited, with much training previously conducted in the aircraft. The JCAB qualification opens the door for broader VR-based simulator training adoption across Japan’s helicopter sector.
- The simulator was delivered through Inter-Craft, which introduced the technology to the Japanese market and coordinated with the JCAB to support certification.
Statements
- “The introduction of Japan’s first FTD Level 7 VR simulator is an important milestone, giving our pilots the ability to train for complex, decision-intensive scenarios and rare equipment failures in a safe, controlled environment. It will also allow us to refine the skills of pilots currently on the front lines and, more broadly, accelerate the development of the next generation of aviation talent in Japan,” said Shigeharu Matsuoka, President of Nakanihon Air.
- “Working closely with Nakanihon Air, Inter-Craft and the JCAB, we’ve been able to bring qualified VR helicopter training to Japan for the first time. As more countries adopt this approach, we raise the standard of safety and enable the next generation of pilots to train more regularly, in more places around the world,” said Sebastien Borel, CEO of Loft Dynamics.
Source: Loft Dynamics