When X-Plane Fights Real Forest Fires

Bridger Aerospace, a real-life firefighting company, is now using VR simulation to train its pilots to fly in complex conditions, like flying low to put out a forest fire. The simulator they will be using? X-Plane.

During real life training, it is impossible to accurately reproduce the conditions of wildfires pilots will be expected to put out. Only simulation and virtual reality can realistically recreate such extreme conditions. On top of this, pilots can even train in the same virtual aircraft using the “shared cockpit” model from completely different locations - drastically increasing training efficiency and reducing overall cost.

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Pretoria Engineering, a real life group of engineers from the University of Astoria, are designing the plug-in for X-Plane 12. When completed, it will integrate Bridger’s aircraft with the ability to fly ultra realistic aerial firefighting missions.

Such an integration of X-Plane into pilot training programs is proof that flight simulation is so much more than a video game - it is capable of not only fulfilling the dream of aviation enthusiasts but also playing a critical role in the training of pilots for an array of possible scenarios they may encounter in real life.

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