Evaluating the effects of virtual training in an aircraft maintenance task

To provide the public with continuing, safe, and reliable air transportation it is important to have a sound aircraft inspection and maintenance system. To ensure that aircraft maintenance inspectors are adequately trained, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of the task of aircraft maintenance inspection. One proven technique for improving inspection performance is the use of training. Due to the nature of aircraft maintenance, inspection is vital in locating damage to the wing, fuselage, aircraft cargo bay, and other components of an aircraft. Because inspection plays such an important part of aircraft maintenance, it is imperative that inspectors are adequately trained and competent to ensure that damage to aircraft does not go unnoticed during routine maintenance. The purpose of this study was to develop a simulated aircraft cargo bay in a virtual reality (VR) environment to explore VR as a training tool and examine differences between general and detailed inspection under paced and unpaced conditions.