Helicopter VR Flight Simulator Training: Loft Dynamics with Fabi Riesen

Max talks with Fabi Riesen, CEO of Loft Dynamics, about virtual reality helicopter simulator training and how VR may improve safety, standardization, and training efficiency for rotorcraft pilots. The premise is simple: helicopter flying happens close to the ground, often in demanding environments, and a meaningful share of risk shows up during training and checking—when pilots are practicing new maneuvers, refining emergency procedures, or being evaluated. The safety opportunity is to shift more repetitions into a simulator, but only if the simulator is realistic enough that skills transfer to the aircraft.

Why virtual reality matters for helicopter training

Fabi explains why helicopters expose a weak spot in traditional simulation: low-speed, near-surface flying depends heavily on depth perception and subtle visual cues. Large dome simulators can be impressive, but projected visuals don’t always deliver stereoscopic, head-tracked 3D the way the real world does. In virtual reality (VR), the pilot sees a true 3D world that updates naturally with head movement, which can make close-to-the-ground helicopter flying—hovering, precision approaches, and obstacle clearance—feel more authentic and more trainable.

From “VR demo” to professional training device

A major thread of the conversation is that Loft Dynamics is not trying to be a consumer VR add-on. Fabi describes Loft’s push toward professional training outcomes: high-resolution visuals, high frame rates, and low latency so the motion and visuals stay synchronized. In a helicopter simulator, even small mismatches between what you see and what your body feels can break realism and reduce training value. Loft’s approach focuses on the complete system: visuals, motion cueing, aircraft dynamics, and cockpit interaction engineered together to support training.

Does VR training transfer to real helicopters?

Max and Fabi discuss the central question: can VR helicopter simulator training carry over to real flight? Fabi describes an experiment where 33 students with no helicopter experience trained private-pilot exercises in a Robinson R22 VR simulator environment. After an average of about 10.5 hours, they could perform core PPL maneuvers in the simulator and were then evaluated flying those same maneuvers in a real helicopter. The takeaway isn’t that VR replaces aircraft time. It’s that VR can accelerate early learning, increase safe repetition, and reduce real-world exposure during the highest-risk phase of skill acquisition.

Why simulators can be safer and more efficient than aircraft time

They also explore why simulator time can be more efficient for certain objectives. In the real helicopter, repetition includes overhead: repositioning, climbing back to altitude, resetting the scenario, and dealing with weather, traffic, and airspace constraints. In a simulator, an instructor can reset instantly and run the maneuver again—creating more repetitions per hour, faster learning cycles, and a safer environment for trying, failing, correcting, and repeating.

That “repeatability” matters for procedures, emergency checklists, cockpit flows, and decision-making under time pressure—areas where pilots benefit from many repetitions and immediate feedback. From a safety standpoint, moving these reps into a realistic simulator reduces exposure while still building proficiency.

Loft Twin and standardized instruction

One of the most distinctive concepts in this episode is Loft Twin, which aims to standardize training. Fabi explains that Loft Twin can record an instructor’s complete session—not just a video, but the full training dataset: control inputs, aircraft response, simulator motion, voice coaching, and pilot movement. That session becomes replayable so another pilot can effectively “train with” a digital version of the instructor.

Max digs into the practical question: can the pilot feel what the instructor did on the controls? Fabi explains that because control inputs and motion are replayed, the pilot can experience the timing and movements, supporting muscle memory and consistent technique. For operators, the implication is significant: a chief pilot can define a standard lesson once and distribute the same technique across fleets and bases, reducing drift and variation between instructors.

Cockpit interaction in virtual reality

VR training is only useful if cockpit interaction is practical. In a headset, pilots can’t naturally see their real hands and body, which can turn training into something “game-like” unless it’s engineered well. Fabi describes Loft’s work in body tracking and interaction so pilots can practice switchology, hand placement, and flows in a way that supports real cockpit habits. Combined with a training environment designed for serious instruction, the goal is a simulator that builds correct technique and decision-making—not just familiarity.

Loft Home, Apple Vision Pro, and the broader ecosystem

Finally, the discussion expands to Loft’s broader training ecosystem, including the idea of procedural practice beyond the simulator bay. Loft Home, using Apple Vision Pro, is positioned as a way to rehearse procedures and flows in virtual reality at home, then step into a higher-fidelity training environment better prepared. Fabi also discusses Loft’s helicopter platform lineup, including configurations aligned with aircraft such as the Robinson R22 and Airbus H125, plus broader development work that supports more advanced training needs.

The episode frames virtual reality helicopter simulator training as a safety tool: it increases the number of high-quality repetitions, reduces risk during training, and creates the possibility of more standardized instruction—without relying solely on scarce aircraft time or perfect conditions.

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