VR Training
Cessna 172 PreFlight Walkaround
- Released
- Seneca Polytechnic
An XR training application that lets aviation students perform a pre-flight safety inspection on a virtual Cessna 172. The app features two modes: a free walkaround to explore the aircraft and a guided checklist mode where students inspect components. In checklist mode, simulated faults — such as a damaged belt or bird nest — challenge students to spot issues they would rarely see on a pristine aircraft. This enables early students to become familiar with the aircraft before direct access and trains them on rare but critical scenarios. Integrated into the aviation curriculum, it builds procedural accuracy and safety awareness.
- Successfully deployed within Seneca's Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology program
- Supports repeated aviation safety training in Seneca's aviation learning environment
Challenge
Aviation students rarely encounter rare-but-critical pre-flight inspection issues — damaged belts, bird nests, hidden faults — on the pristine training aircraft they actually fly, and access to a real Cessna 172 is limited. The program needed an accessible way to build procedural accuracy and safety awareness before students touch a real aircraft.
Solution
Built a virtual Cessna 172 with two modes — free walkaround and guided checklist — including interactive fault scenarios that simulate damaged belts, bird nests, and other rare conditions. Implemented in Unreal Engine for Meta Quest VR and Windows PC delivery, with the core learning framework adapted for cross-platform use.
Outcome
Successfully deployed within Seneca's Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology program. Builds procedural accuracy and safety awareness through repeated exposure to realistic pre-flight scenarios that students would rarely see on a pristine aircraft.
Gallery
Supporting video
Contributions
- Built and adapted the core Unreal learning framework for Meta Quest and PC delivery
- Implemented the aircraft scene, UI systems, walkaround flow and guided checklist logic
- Developed interactive fault scenarios and optimised the application for cross-platform use
- Implemented technical UX in Unreal Engine
- Worked with subject matter experts, project lead, designer, junior developers and 3D artists
