Efficacy of High-Fidelity VR Threat-and-Error Simulation for Competency-based Pilot Training

The aviation industry faces increasing pilot training demands, and reliance on conventional Full Flight Simulators (FFS) limits training capacity. Virtual Reality (VR) offers scalable, remote training opportunities, but its role as a complement to FFS requires empirical validation. In collaboration with Singapore Airlines (SIA) instructor pilots, we developed a VR training prototype for a visual approach into Gimhae International Airport, emphasizing Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA)-based Threat and Error Management (TEM). An empirical study with 39 SIA Boeing 737-MAX 8 type-rated first officers evaluated VR against FFS. An equivalence analysis showed that VR achieved performance outcomes comparable to FFS in 13 of the 16 Observable Behaviors (OBs) and across 4 Competencies. In addition, a comparative analysis indicated measurable performance improvements when VR was used to supplement FFS training. Our results suggest VR can meaningfully complement FFS in targeted competency areas, with future work required to assess its broader integration across additional scenarios and performance metrics.