Josh Swanson

Global Head of Extended Reality (xR) & Regional Director, PACE Aerospace Engineering & IT

Josh Swanson is head of Extended Reality for PACE, a TXT Company, where he and his team provide next generation training software to the aviation and aerospace industries. He has a background in flight test, simulation, flight training technology, and software product management. Josh is an aviation enthusiast and FAA Private Pilot and Advance Ground Instructor.

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A Practical and Scalable Solution for XR Training Adoption

In this paper, we share lessons learned over 10+ years of developing and implementing extended reality (XR) training applications in the aerospace and aviation industries, culminating in a next-generation platform approach for making XR implementation technically and economically feasible for training organizations of all size. Referencing several real-world examples of applications and projects for flight training and cabin crew training, we will show how technology has evolved – now reaching practical maturity – enabling sensible, affordable, and integrated XR technology adoption. We conclude with recommendations on how to get started with the use of XR for aviation training in a manageable and scalable way, targeting incremental innovation and improvement of training programs, making training more engaging, impactful, and cost effective. We also share our perspective on enablers, limitations, and constraints – technological, regulatory, and cultural – and how we should move forward accordingly as a broader aviation training community.