A Tour of the Skunk Works of Air Force Pilot Training--Detachment 24 

The ultimate gaming machine.

As a veteran KC 135 crew chief stationed at Castle Air Force Base California back in the 80s, we were the strategic air command‘s main training base for that air frame. The noobs would come out and see the jet for the first time and we would do our walk around and they were bewildered because all they saw were photos. Many questions about many systems which was my job to answer and it was rather interesting that here I was 19 years old teaching College graduates/officers in the USAF. So going forward looking at this video and seeing the VR walk around is an absolute amazing tool to get pilots spooled up faster to the jet they’re going to fly. These new simulators are magnitudes cheaper than the old SINGER-LINK systems that were in use at the Linebacker Center. When those things needed maintenance pretty much everything stops. The Linebacker Center on base was massive and it contained cockpit modules for both KC 135 and B 52, it contained modules for all other crew positions in both aircraft and they were all interlinked four total mission immersion it was amazing and it was 1981

Can’t wait to see the day these guys start using DCS for their training!

Sims are such amazing tools, and I'm glad to see the Air Force is adopting them full force. Being able to take a lesson concept and apply it in a sim instills so much confidence before doing it in the real plane. At least that's what I've found through private training, and I can only imagine that benifit being amplified trying to learn complex tactical maneuvers.

The biggest benefit of using these sims is the savings in operating costs. A combat jet is hideously expensive, including maintenance and fuel. Sims have come a long way with VR headsets, realistic hotas controls and DCS

For us students the T6 ITD's are great tools when used correctly, they're best for learning ground references and the overall pacing of flying patterns and maneuvers around the local area. Glad to see they've got actual T6 PCL/stick mock-ups in the works because the current layout can be limiting (especially when wearing the goggles).

Thank you for providing the tour. It was very interesting. You are appreciated. Thank you for your service and for all you continue to do.

Great rundown on the current AETC tools. I work on a sim/PTT trainer for ANG and we've discussing internally how we can implement VR, if at all. It's the future and allows great training at reduced costs and space. Thanks for the access!

Love it. Thank you for posting Hasard.

Fantastic video and superb training. Thanks !

I've been fortunate to be involved in developing medical training apps that use VR. The amount of retention is leaps above what you can attain with traditional methods.

Welcome back! Excellent content as usual!!!

What a great and informative video! I'm a flight simulation fan and found this really fascinating. Thanks!

Home grown American innovation, this is fantastic!

Lol it’s funny to see someone using the same software and hardware I’m using for my home sim! It’s cool that some of there stuff is on the shelf!

All of that is absolutely fantastic! Improving pilot proficiency and ability’s before they even get in a aircraft. Not to mention the fuel savings and easing the transition to future additional unmanned aircraft. This whole program is just amazing! USA ftw 🇺🇸

جزاكم الله خيرا سيدي شهيد اعانكم علمكم

Ultimate DCS Setup.

Outstanding Hasard.

Glad to see that A2A's hard work is paying off both for them and the USAF.

Thank you,Hasard

Outstanding Hasard!

Amazing hasard!! Great video!

Awesome, very well done…

I love your videos, because I want to be an airforce pilot when I’m older.

Great Insight. Thank you.

flying a combat aircraft or racing are 2 of the only things i can do in VR without being taken out of the experience, because wearing a headset is annoying. but, it feels somewhat right as a racing helmet or flight helmet.

This is totally badass...

Nice! Thanks Hasard :)

Amazing how much things have come along from a switch trainer.

Great video as always ! Greetings from France 🇫🇷

Good to see you again my Air Force Brother!!!!!

nice video! keep up the good work!

Thank You For The Video 🤠🤠🤠

Excellent video and technology! I hope the airlines start considering using that type of training to augment full-on simulator events.

Using Varjo VR3 and Reverb G2! Awesome!

I was quite surprised by the admission that the students learning to fly the T-1A would never actually fly the real thing... When sims start to replace entire aircraft, that's not a small thing. Makes you wonder what "being a pilot" is going to look like in a world of optionally-manned, remotely piloted aircraft systems and the level/kind of training a person will have to do.

really interesting vid, more please👍

They need to be flying in DCS. 😎👌🏻

Very cool stuff.

This is very interesting to see. I work in commercial aviation training (simulator manufacturer, level D full motion) and I don't see that this revolution has really picked up in our industry. Air Force seems to be way ahead of the curve here. Maybe it is because in commercial type specific training, setups like this would not be sufficientcly accurate for some training credits but I think there is definitely a place for VR and connected devices like what we see here. Kudo's to the guys and girls that sold these concepts internally to the bean counters and folks in charge and made it happen. There is a a strong legacy and "if it aint broken ..." attitude in (commercial) aviation training.

Nice. Many familiar hardware and software aids. P3D, TacView, HP G2 and Quest 2. 🤓

Great gouge Hasard, appreciate you putting this together for us.

Very interested!

Very cool

I went to school a few blocks away from Randolph. Pretty hard to pay attention to class when you guys are always flying around :)

Thanks for sharing. I always wanted to be a pilot. Went the 11X route instead.

Cool, very interesting

Very cool.

DCS players dream. Get me in there looks awesome.

Welcome back sir !

I want one of those simpits for playing Star Citizen on. Best Star Citizen gaming rig I have ever seen.

So sweet. I’ve always wanted to be a fighter pilot, but now at the age of 33, that dream is all but closed to me. I’d love some tech like this

very efficient!! imagine they save lives and oil

It's good to see that lockheed prepar3d is actually getting used for what it was repackaged for, at the same time I'm glad they've kept it accessible to microsoft flight sim vets!

I’ve done flight sims for many years, and you can get a full cockpit, the most realistic sim you can get and it still does not replicate actually flying, there’s some stuff you just can’t get with sims so I think they definitely should still get real stick time before moving on to more advanced aircraft

Looks badass. 🇺🇸 🫡

Nice. Looks like they're Usain good 'ol tac view.

I bet you guys probably host some sick LAN parties.

HP Reverb, nice

How do I get one of those for my DCS rig? Awesome video!

Definitely gonna get one of those gaming machines...(with the movement effects). Once boredom starts to sink in, will get an F-22 (basic version)

👏🙏👍From Thailand sir!

Hey Hasard, do fighter jets have keys that are needed to start them? Assuming it wouldn’t be like a car - in the cockpit with a rabbits foot dangling from it, but is their somewhere on a fighter jet that a unique device is needed to make it operational?

This is the future of flight training...like it or not. VR and Flight Sims plus AI Interactions will be gospel...

This is the future.

badass

Got some nice Varjo Mix reality Hmds. I have a Varjo Aero.. Such brilliant VR head sets.

I can see how training is very sped up, with no take off/landing, get there and back. But the 'touch the lights' would really agravate me, as I don't see it as actual flight related... Only descisions and poke someone in the eye talents....

That was very informative. Totally different industry but I train and assess people to become coal train drivers. 13,000 tonnes of train. One of the skills is shunting and as of late we reduced the practical time and introduced vr. It reduced the time in operations and the risk. But what I found was situational risk was not felt with sound and vibrations and environment. Perception thru VR never helped read distance in propelling the train. Just curious how the VR experience and perception to distance to outcome. We’re there big gaps of adjustment to that?

Sweet... can they get After Burner on those?

6:20 to 6:25 is the T-1 that they'll skip a training-specific jet design or is it used by other pilots in real missions overseas?

Things have moved on since I worked on the Typhoon simulator. It's fascinating we move fast.

Getting crew trained on a T1 simulator ready to migrate to their target aircraft is immense. As the T1 is 30 years of age it will need replacement soon at a cost of billions. Retiring the T1 from this role will also save millions per annum. Immense cost saving here as long as the training end results are equal to or better than current practice.

That shit was cool.👌🏻

Hey Hasard, have you had any experience in the new flight simulator "The NOR Platform" by Meta Immersive Synthetics

Can i.. have one. Also they're using tacview wich is pretty cool. DCS guys know what i mean

Looks awesome! But it lacks BRRTTTT.

That sure beats the old LINK trainers...LOL. I got to try the B-58 trainer at Grissom AFB, 305th SAC many years ago, what a rush that was. I still train in my own sim several hours a week.

Why dont the design a cockpit with zero gravity feature to counteract the G effects when flying at high speeds?

My dream

They were using tacview for flight data analysis. The same we use in DCS and il2 great battles. It takes years to get good in flight sims, even in ww2 simulation. And the skills are not easily tranferable between flight sims and real life. Also real pilots tend to struggle in combat sims, as none of their real skills can be used.

Attention all you gamers with good reflexes, motivated with a desire to do more in life then sit on the couch, this video is for you. Come join the best of the best and fly the fastest jets in the military?

Sure looks like there using DCS as thier sim. Wonder if it's the same company who makes thier software? Anyone know?

Fly it like a rental 👍

THE FUTURE IS NOW

Skunkworks is where the top secret advanced aircrafts are actually built so it must be amazing to b there, Lockheed is amazing.

Can you share with us the aproximated cost of the sim?? please

I wish I had the chance to become a military pilot

The military and their recruiting videos.

This machine is really awesome Hasard 👌🏾🇺🇸 💯 ! And I even think that with this tool, the French air forces would be even better than they are ⚡🇲🇫⚡. Imagine this powerful training tool combined with the performance of the Rafale ... I think that would make it fairer 🇲🇫50/50🇺🇸, the fight between the magnificent F35 against the legendary Rafale Nationale!💙🤍♥️🛩️ What do you think... Hasard ?

DCS players when they see this: 😍

Watched another RU-vid video that said this is good but you really need seat time in a jet. He flew the F-16

Sims are not a new concept. We have always used them. We’ve always used video in briefings. We’ve always incorporated EPs. We used to incorporate motion. The difference is these are cheap and less realistic. Less flying time replaces reality with virtual reality, and that replaces quality with virtual quality.

top dogs!

How similar is this sim compare to the DCS? Or are they using the DCS engine for the sim?

What headsets are those? 6:50 7:10

Give a DCS gamer this setup you can see them flying an actual fighter🤣

Now, a smart WING CO & DO would have the USAF Air Traffic Control trainees in the base hook up their simulator training gear to work in conjunction with the student-pilots so that they can jointly work on their procedures & phraseology.

why is this video only able to be found via the playlists option (for me)