New technology has brought airline-level motion flight simulators in the flight training industry in numbers over the past 10 years, but for many schools, the double hurdles of cost and space have been too high to overcome.
Recognising that, Sydney company SynFlyt looks set to clear the way for flying schools to have access to a quality synthetic training device by producing the world's first motion simulator that can be set up outside.
The Innovation 21 is a water-tight, fully enclosed system that can be located on the airside of a flying school outside established buildings or hangars, meaning valuable indoor space doesn't need to be sacrificed to fit in a simulator.
All it needs is power and a connection to the internet.
Director Ross Maclennan set up SynFlyt in 2011, and most of the technology in the Innovation 21 has been developed in-house rather than use existing systems and software.
"Our aim is to make it accessible and affordable for flight schools," Maclennan told Australian Flying at Avalon 2017 yesterday.
"Many schools have no room to put one in or the system takes up too much valuable hangar space.
"We say 'we can fix that no problem'. It's not a drama."
Using four projectors, the Innovation 21 provides 210 degrees of wrap-around scenery that consists of satellite imagery of genuine terrain rather than computer-generated renditions. It is a three degrees of motion (3DOF) system, with roll, pitch and yaw movement coming via three electric servo motors.
With the cockpit encased inside a moving sphere, the Innovation 21 actually has more room inside that many of the general aviation cockpits it is designed to represent. Although the system set up at Avalon is a Cirrus SR22 model, Maclennan believes SynFlyt can make any cockpit provided it fits inside the sphere.
And rather than a separate desk, screen, keyboard and chair for the instructor station is an app running on an everyday iPad, meaning the instructor can be sitting beside the student, outside the simulator, or even in the flying school building.
But perhaps most unique about SynFlyt's product offering is the business model. Rather than leasing or selling the unit to the school, the Innovation 21 will operate on what Maclennan calls the "pinball machine" model, where the school installs, runs and cares for the machine on SynFlyt's behalf, retaining a percentage of the revenue from operating hours.
That means the school is not faced with significant capital investment costs, yet still gets access to a quality motion simulator.
Maclennan believes the system has the integrity and fidelity to satisfy CASA requirements for a Category B synthetic training device, and is scheduled start production in July this year.
For more information on the Innovation 21, go to the SynFlyt website.