The Air Force is currently developing the cutting-edge program, which it expects to begin using next year
Date: 08/08/2012, 1:07 PM
Author: Yuval Tzuk, IAF Website
The IAF is in the process of developing an advanced simulator to be used to train technicians, which it expects to begin using for this purpose by the end of 2013.
Like a human flight instructor, the simulator will present the technicians with complicated problems, which they will need to solve – without requiring the use of an actual airplane. As a result, airplanes that would have otherwise been used for training purposes can now serve in operational roles instead.
"The trainer [simulator] will model a variety of complicated situations, which we couldn't imitate in reality," explained Maj. Yair Bilya, commander of the Avionics Branch at the IAF's technical base, where the simulator is being developed. "The technical simulator will make the technicians much more professional, as they will be able to gain experience and skill virtually."
In the 2000s, the IAF has increased its use of simulators as training tools. Today, its air crews spend a significant amount of time training on flight simulators, allowing them to practice handling particularly dangerous and challenging scenarios without actually endangering themselves. The new simulator promises to continue this trend by allowing technicians to practice handling difficult technical problems without actually harming airplanes or taking them out of service.