DigiFlight Inc. introduced its Phoenix Mixed Reality Flight Training Device for AH-64 Apache crews at the Army Aviation Association of America’s Army Aviation Warfighting Summit, held April 15-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. The company said it designed Phoenix to replicate the Apache operating environment with mixed-reality technology, cockpit hardware and simulation software.
It includes the aircraft’s tandem pilot and co-pilot/gunner configuration, along with flight controls and instrument panels intended for crew task training. DigiFlight also said instructors can connect multiple units for coordinated mission rehearsal and multi-crew exercises.
The company said Phoenix includes an aerodynamic flight model and tactical training features such as simulated PNVS/TADS sensor views, IHADSS symbology overlays and weapons-system training for guns, rockets and missiles. DigiFlight also said the device includes after-action review tools that allow instructors to review cockpit views and system data during debriefs. The company built Phoenix on a modular open-systems architecture intended to support future updates for sensors and weapons packages.
“Today’s global security environment is increasingly volatile, and the men and women flying combat missions must be ready to operate in complex and unpredictable situations,” DigiFlight CEO Stan Oliver said. “Phoenix allows aviators to train in a fully immersive environment that mirrors real mission conditions while maintaining the safety and repeatability that advanced simulation provides.”
I want one! Christmas is coming. (Hint, hint)