Interactive Aviation Maintenance Classroom

Abstract

Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) play an important role in guaranteeing the safety, reliability, and readiness of aviation operations worldwide. Per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, certified AMTs must document mechanic-related experience to maintain their certification. Currently, aviation maintenance training methods are centered around classroom instruction, printed manuals, videos, and on-the-job training. Due to the constantly evolving digital landscape, there is an opportunity to modernize the way AMTs are trained, remain current, and conduct on-the-job training. This research explores the implementation of Virtual Reality (VR) platforms as a method for enhancing the aviation training experience in the areas of aircraft maintenance and sustainability. One outcome of this research is the creation of a virtual training classroom module for aircraft maintenance, utilizing a web- based, open-source, immersive platform called Mozilla Hubs. While there is a general belief that VR enhances learning in general, very few controlled experiments have been conducted to show that this is the case. The goal of this research is to add to the general knowledge on the use of VR for training and specifically for aircraft maintenance training.