The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Air Support Division is at the forefront of pilot training by becoming the first agency in the country to implement virtual reality (VR) into pilot instruction. The program trains police pilots who fly Airbus AStar/H125 helicopters.
The department has recently installed an advanced flight simulator designed by Loft Dynamics, an announcement that was made at Verticon, the most significant trade show in the industry, hosted in Dallas, Texas. This state-of-the-art technology is set to transform the way LAPD pilots prepare for real-world scenarios.
“It has been extremely difficult to incorporate mission-based scenarios into our training program with the realism and frequency necessary for the training to be effective,” chief pilot Kevin Gallagher told Vertical magazine.
The LAPD recently introduced its Airbus H125 VR flight simulation training device (FSTD) during its annual Southern California Regional Public Safety Aviation Exercise at the Hooper Memorial Heliport. Although details of the department’s collaboration with Loft Dynamics were still undisclosed at the time, attendees were given an exclusive first look at this groundbreaking training tool.
The simulation incorporates an immersive six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform along with a full-scale replica cockpit of the H125. This cutting-edge system will facilitate regular training sessions for the department’s 50 pilots, sharpening their readiness for real-world assignments.
“This technology ensures that in critical moments, our pilots are prepared to execute with precision and confidence — because in aviation, you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training,” Gallagher says.
Gallagher has already structured VR training sessions covering essential procedures such as aerial pursuits and emergency landings. During these immersive lessons, an LAPD pilot trains alongside Gallagher’s full-body avatar in a simulated cockpit, experiencing the control feedback while receiving real-time verbal instructions. This format ensures a highly interactive and realistic training environment that is available at all times. The influence of LAPD’s VR training extends far beyond its own department. The agency is now making its training curriculum available to law enforcement units across the globe. Pilots with access to a Loft Dynamics simulator can enter the virtual cockpit with Gallagher, receiving guidance from one of the field’s most experienced aerial law enforcement pilots. “LAPD’s pioneering adoption of our technology demonstrates how VR can transform localized programs into global benchmarks for safety and skill development,” Loft Dynamics Founder and CEO Fabi Riesen. “Together, we’re not just setting new standards for law enforcement preparedness but also redefining what’s possible for sectors like aerial firefighting, disaster relief and more.”
