Simulation breakthrough could transform aerial firefighting pilot training, researchers say

A new real-time flight simulation system developed by the University of Glasgow could significantly enhance aerial firefighting training by replicating the complex interactions between helicopters, wildfire behavior, and water drops under dynamic, high-risk conditions. 

Developed as part of the Daedalus I flight simulation framework and published in the CEAS Aeronautical Journal, the prototype software is designed to model the full physics of aerial firefighting in real time, including rotor downwash, fire-driven atmospheric turbulence, and the dispersal of water drops from aircraft. 

Unlike conventional simulators that rely on pre-scripted or ‘pre-baked’ scenarios, the new system calculates two-way interactions between aircraft and wildfire behavior as the simulation unfolds.  

Researchers say this enables far more realistic training environments, where helicopter wake can intensify fire behavior, which in turn feeds back into changing air currents and flight conditions. 

The system runs on consumer-grade graphics processing units (GPUs), including Nvidia RTX hardware, allowing advanced fluid dynamics modeling without the need for supercomputing infrastructure.  

Postgraduate researcher Oyedoyin Dada said the goal was to address a critical gap in pilot training for a highly specialized and dangerous operational environment. 

“Aerial firefighting is a very specialized vocation, and there are not many pilots with the unique combination of skills required,” he said. “Real-world training is extremely limited due to safety risks, so we needed a system that can realistically replicate the interaction between fire, atmosphere, and aircraft in real time.” 

The simulation integrates atmospheric modeling, fire propagation, and water dispersion into a single coupled system, allowing each component to continuously influence the others. Researchers say this creates a level of realism not previously achievable in standard flight training platforms. 

Professor George Barakos, also from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, said the system operated at more than 60 frames per second, enabling seamless integration with motion platforms used in pilot training environments. 

“In one scenario, the helicopter’s rotor wake reached the fire before the aircraft, intensifying the blaze and generating a plume that altered subsequent flight conditions,” he said. “These kinds of interactions are not possible in traditional simulation systems, which rely on precomputed conditions.” 

Researchers believe the technology could play an important role as wildfires become more frequent and severe due to climate change, increasing demand for skilled aerial firefighting crews. 

The team is now working toward pilot-in-the-loop testing, with plans to introduce experienced firefighting pilots into simulation trials to validate operational performance in realistic mission scenarios. 

Future development may also include intelligent control systems capable of stabilizing aircraft in highly turbulent fire environments, potentially reducing pilot workload and improving safety during low-altitude firefighting operations. 

In other related news, Aquarius Aerial Firefighting recently unveiled a new simulation and training facility, to support its pilot operations.