✈️Fly-XR

Aviation Communication Training
will never be the same

Basics

Team

Myself and four team members (incl. an experienced pilot)

Timeline

Jan 2024 - May 2024

My role

Product Manager, Designer

Background

Interviews

Novice Commerical Pilot

New pilots beginning careers at regional or low-cost carriers after flight school.

Name: Rachel
Age: 24
Background: Recently graduated from a pilot training program and started flying with a regional airline.

As a novice commercial pilot, I need an immersive simulation platform that allows me to practice ATC communication in various flight scenarios, so that I can gain the confidence and skills needed to operate independently without reliance on a line training captain.

Non-native English Pilot Trainee

New pilots beginning careers at regional or low-cost carriers after flight school.

Name: Jason
Age: 27
Background: A non-native English speaker enrolled in a flight training program, aspiring to fly internationally.

As a non-native English-speaking pilot trainee, I need a training module that focuses on aviation-specific English and offers real-time feedback, so that I can improve my communication clarity and fluency, meeting international aviation standards.

Existing Solutions

Instructor Aviation English lessons

Customized
High value for the student
High cost
Low availability of instructors
Used sporadically

Real Flying Experience

Best method. Real world practice
Easy to develop bad habits or common mistakes
Low airplane availability
Difficult to train non-standard and emergency communications
Stressful and daunting environment at the beginning

Books & Manuals

Low engagement for the student
No customized learning
Difficult to digest the content
Low cost
Widely available
No feedback on your knowledge

Aviation English Academies & Courses

Expensive
Very personalized training
Intensive training
Overall improvement of aviation and general English
Second best option after real life experience

Key Hypothesis

We know that trainees struggle with ATC vocabulary and phraseology and we believe that the problem stems from the lack of interactive and engaging training methods. Through implementing an LLM-based interactive training module, we expect a 50% increase in the correct use of ATC terms and phraseology, as verified through assessments conducted before and after the training module.

Importance

Issue: Current training methods lack engagement, leading to proficiency gaps.
Expected Outcome: 50% increase in correct ATC term usage.
Priority: Highest priority due to its foundational impact on training effectiveness.
Significance: Enhancing training delivery will directly improve trainees' skills.
Validation: Crucial to measure the effectiveness of this innovative approach.

Conception & Refinement

“ I love that there is a grading score at the end of the module so I know exactly what areas to continue working on” - Andrew

“I was impressed by the detail of including an airport chart, so I was a bit disappointed that it cannot be opened and is too small to really use.” - Álvaro

“Being able to speak to someone that sounds like ATC is a huge value add, I just wish that I could adjust the voice by accent, speed, etc.” - Jason

Prototypes

Welcome Screen: Greets users and guides them on how to start.

Region Selection: Users choose between FAA and EASA regions.

Training Level Selection: Users select their training level for a tailored experience.

Module Selection: Users choose from modules like ground personnel communications, pushback, taxi-in, etc.

Airport Selection: Users pick an desired airport for their training session.

Session Information: Displays call sign, current time, and ATIS report.

Interactive Training Interface: Includes an airport map, call sign, frequency knob, altitude metric, and PTT button.

Full-Screen Airport Map: Offers a detailed, full-screen view of the airport map.

Score and Feedback: Displays the user's score and lists mistakes, such as phraseology, readback, and omission errors.

Collateral