PHI Air Medical becomes first in the Americas to train pilots with VR flight simulation

PHI Air Medical has become the first air ambulance operator in the Americas to introduce full-motion virtual reality (VR) flight simulation for pilot training, marking a major shift in how air medical crews prepare for missions.

The US-based provider has installed a Loft Dynamics full-motion VR simulator – the first system qualified by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) – at its training base in Mesa, Arizona. The Airbus H125 simulator will form the centerpiece of a new training program designed to give pilots round-the-clock access to immersive, mission-specific instruction that replicates real-world conditions.

PHI operates more than 100 helicopters across 82 bases, transporting over 22,500 patients each year. The introduction of Loft’s simulator enables pilots to undertake continuous, scenario-based training tailored to emergency operations such as zero-visibility landings, high-altitude rescues, and nighttime missions using night vision goggles.

“We fly into the unknown every day – remote crash sites, busy city centers, adverse weather, unfamiliar terrain – and we do it in service of patients who don’t have time to wait,” said Duke Baker, Director of Aviation Operations at PHI Air Medical. “With this technology, we can safely give our pilots any mission at any time and rehearse until the maneuvers become instinctive.”

PHI instructors are developing a dynamic curriculum using Loft Dynamics’ six-degrees-of-freedom platform, which includes a 360° 3D cockpit and force feedback.

“This is exactly where VR was meant to go,” said Fabi Riesen, Founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics. “PHI’s adoption of this technology shows what’s possible when training is no longer limited by geography, cost, or availability.”

PHI is working with the FAA to integrate the simulator into its Part 135-approved training program – a move expected to pave the way for wider VR adoption across the air medical industry.

PHI Air Medical and Enterprise Rescue recently launched a new air medical helicopter base in Monroeville, Alabama.