Simulator-based Mixed Reality eVTOL Pilot Training: The Instructor Operator Station

Advanced Air Mobility aircraft designs following the Simplified Vehicle Operations (SVO) concept require novel environments for practical and intuitive pilot training. Mixed Reality (MR) technologies can support immersive and interactive learning methods for operating several SVO aircraft, including electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) systems. Despite this potential, regulatory guidelines for simulator-based eVTOL pilot training, especially concerning the Instructor Operator Station (IOS) design, are nascent and require substantive development. This paper investigates the feasibility of an MR eVTOL research simulator as a training tool for instructors. A user study forms the basis for a bottom-up categorization of the instructor’s performance shaping factors, which are pivotal for the design of an MR IOS. This paper contributes to the discourse on MR integration in pilot training by identifying key enhancements necessary for an IOS design.