Customer Story

AI Immersive Aircraft Training

Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering

2025

Leading Digital Transformation Efforts

The Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE), responsible for training the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Aerospace Engineering Officers and Aircraft Technicians, needed to develop a strategy to maximize learning inside their limited 8-week training format. Engines used by the Air Force are complex and are composed of over 25,000 parts, driving the need for effective yet accelerated training. Using StellarX, OVA built immersive training modules that leverage Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence.

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Training time went from one full day, to only 15 minutes, because:

Trainees gain unlimited access to an engine.
3D visualizations and interactive teaching of theoretical concepts such as airflow and Bernouli’s principle, paired with in-experience quizzes, concretize fundamentals quicker.
Internal components of the engine are easily accessible without the need for costly and time-consuming dismantling.
Dynamic training tailors itself to each trainee’s individual needs based on auto-assessed analytics, allowing them to progress at a suitable level and at their own pace.
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Challenge

Delays and inefficiency in training can critically impact the RCAF’s ability to defend and protect Canadian airspace. CFSATE required a form of training that responds to some of these questions:

How can trainees gain confidence with engines, without time constraints?
How can theory and practice be blended together to improve engagement?
What can be done to assure uniform skill acquisition across trainees?
How can training respond to varying levels of skills and goals, without the need for complicated processes and operations?
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Solution

In under five months, OVA delivered precise, realistic, and fully standardized VR modules designed to train mechanics and technicians in the predictive maintenance and repair of a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk. B71 Turbofan engine’s mechanical systems.

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The simulations have been collaboratively designed to align closely with CFSATE’s training objectives. In addition to facilitating training outside practical hours, they help make theoretical concepts more tangible. In Virtual Reality, trainees can:

Explore a realistic digital twin of the engine.
Examine and rotate components from all angles.
Interact with engine operation parameters, and witness their impact on performance.
Visualize usually invisible thermodynamic and mechanical processes.
Rehearse a full maintenance procedure, from paperwork to troubleshooting.
Ask contextual questions to an AI agent, a smart and interactive NPC that facilitates knowledge transfer.
Be joined by an instructor to learn together.
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Impact

The virtual experience is now integrated into the school’s curriculum. Material that previously took a day to teach via traditional instructors now requires 15 minutes to 1 hour of in-VR time. While OVA remains available after delivery, the coaching of an internal champion allows CFSATE to maintain independence and gain full ownership of their innovation. As their needs evolve, they will be able to maintain, modify and scale the experience themselves.

CFSATE gained access to OVA’s technological solutions through Canada’s Pathway to Commercialization program, bypassing tendering processes and minimizing procurement delays.
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Awards

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