ETC’s Spatial Disorientation Flight Trainer for USAF

Aircrew Training Systems (ATS) a division of Environmental Tectonics Corporation ETC announced today that it signed a contract with the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) to provide a fifth spatial disorientation flight simulator.

The AFLCMC selected ETC's GYRO IPT II (Integrated Physiological Trainer) to fulfill the requirements of their new Spatial Disorientation (SD) Training System Program. The GYRO IPT II will support the SD training requirements in the Air Education and Training Command Student Undergraduate Pilot Training syllabus.

The system will expose undergraduate pilots and aircrew to typical vestibular and visual illusions found in aviation, enabling them to recognize, confirm, prevent, and recover from SD. The additional unit is also scheduled for delivery to Randolph AFB TX by the end of 2015. 

"The award of a fifth system demonstrates the importance of this type of training for the USAF," said Alper Kus, Vice President of ATS.

"Spatial disorientation is a major contributor to aircraft mishaps and these devices will prepare pilots to better manage whatever comes their way, ultimately leading to increased safety." 

ETC's GYRO IPT II provides pilots with a hands-on, realistic, full motion, spatial disorientation flight training experience. While in control of a simulated flight, the pilot can be exposed to a variety of selected disorienting illusions.

Unlike simple disorientation demonstrators, a pilot in the GYRO IPT II has full closed loop control of the simulation before, during, and after the illusion. This capability creates a fully interactive flight training environment where the pilot must maintain control of the simulator and fly through the illusion to a successful resolution during training.