MANSFIELD – The 179th Airlift Wing is taking a new approach to the runway with a virtual training experience.
Members of the 164th Airlift Squadron last week unloaded the Multi Mission Crew Trainer, a high-fidelity, non-motion C-130 flight simulator that will support pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer training in a full spectrum of flight operations.
“Innovation and leadership in aviation is part of our Ohio heritage and so being on the leading edge of fielding this new technology seems like a natural fit for us,” said Col. Mark Auer, commander of the 179th Operations Group.
“This new technology will not only be used to train aircrew, it will also be used by our firefighters and engine run/taxi crew chiefs, all wing personnel who have to be familiar with engine shutdown and aircraft operating procedures.”
The trainer comes to Mansfield from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, home of the 502nd Trainer Development Squadron and the Air Education Training Command. The unit delivered is the first of six in production. An advance echelon team, comprised of three members from the 502nd, deployed to Mansfield to assemble the device and coordinate the upcoming software installation. Software programming by QuantaDyn, a provider of Department of Defense simulation software, is scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Jeff Capretto was part of the aircrew that delivered the unit. “We’re excited to bring this technology to Mansfield. This is going to further prepare our aircrew by presenting them with a broader range of training scenarios. This is a huge opportunity for us to enhance our skills as individual aircrew members and as a unit,” he said.
The unit is a full scale replica of the C-130H2 aircraft cockpit, excluding the navigator station, which will be added shortly. It provides pilot, copilot and flight engineer training systems that are fully populated with touch-screen switches, knobs and displays.
The MMCT creates a full suite of virtual scenarios in various environments. With features like actual geo-specific visual databases and home field inserts, pilots can virtually take off and land on the Mansfield runway or practically anywhere else in the world. The training system allows users to experience various simulation environments while allowing full instructor oversight and scenario control.
The MMCT when fully operational will act as a low-cost squadron level trainer that allows for advanced mission rehearsal, threat awareness training, aircraft system refreshers, emergency procedure and crew resource management training.
(source: mansfieldnewsjournal)
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