Powerful implications

Utilizing the Apple Vision Pro headset, Cirrus takes users through a unique interaction with augmented and virtual reality. Right now, it is only available as a demo, but even with the short time I had with it, it was memorable and impactful.

To begin, users don the much-heavier-than-it-looks Apple Vision Pro headset and battery pack lanyard and learn the basics of navigating the interface. Your line of vision is your cursor, pinching your thumb and pointer fingers together is a click.

The first phase of the experience is augmented reality and the headset projects a to-scale Vision Jet in front of the user with the “real” background still visible around the jet. Users can walk around the airplane, open the door, and look inside. Even knowing that it was unreal, the illusion was so effective it was hard not to reach out and touch the jet, and I found myself leaning into the “airplane” to look around rather than step through the virtual cabin. Interacting with the engine shows an also to-scale cutaway of the fuel system, highlighting in color the fuel system from the wings to the engine.

In the next phase, the user sits down before a virtual flight in the Vision Jet around Knoxville. The visuals are high definition and immersive. In this phase, everything the user sees is virtual reality. After takeoff, we get out to the practice area and the CFI in the right seat (so real-seeming I nearly jumped to see him there) takes us through some basic turns.

While the physical sensation of flight is absent, the immersive visual and audio experience gives this tool high potential. And especially where ideally a user would be experiencing this before training in the real airplane in Knoxville (where all Vision Jet training takes place), seeing a takeoff and maneuvers before flying the actual airplane would almost certainly have a positive impact on the user’s overall training experience. Long term, tools like this can decrease the cost of training, improve proficiency, and create more standardized and potentially higher quality training experiences.

The negatives are seemingly few. One drawback is the potential physiological side effects. Simulator sickness will likely be a factor for some, although in the short time I used it I felt no illness or dizziness. Editor Sarah Deener noted that when she had the chance to use Apple Vision Pros earlier this year on another assignment, she had trouble with it as a glasses wearer. For now, those who need corrected vision will have to stick with contacts when using a VR headset or use optical inserts.

As a CFI I look forward to having training tools like this at my disposal for student learning, and as a pilot, am especially excited about the ways we can use this to stay proficient at home and get to know a new airplane or area. As VR headsets become more widespread, hopefully cheaper, and more sophisticated, we can expect to see this become a valuable and widely used tool in aviation training. The only question now is not if, but when.

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