Virtual reality (VR) flight training company Loft Dynamics has launched a helicopter safety training initiative in Nepal. Loft Dynamics is working in partnership with Airbus Helicopters and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on the programme in an effort to reduce helicopter accidents in the region.
According to the organisations, Nepal is the world’s most challenging aviation environment due to its high-altitude terrain and variable weather patterns, requiring extensive training for the region’s helicopter operations, such as Search and Rescue and tourism services.
As part of the month-long initiative, Loft Dynamics will bring a H125 VR flight simulator to Kathmandu to provide training courses with Airbus Helicopters. Lorenz Nufer and Nick Mayhew will lead mountain-flying instruction, and Klaus Kraus from Airbus International Services and Yann Guérin, head of training operations at Airbus Helicopters, will offer recurrent emergency training. All Nepali helicopter pilots will be required to complete four hours of simulator training.
“From day one, Loft Dynamics was founded to make exceptional, immersive, and safe pilot training accessible—especially in places where it has historically been out of reach—and this partnership brings that mission to life,” said Fabi Riesen, founder and CTO of Loft Dynamics. “Traditional full-flight simulators are usually not feasible in places like the Himalayas. By bringing a compact, immersive VR training system directly to Nepal, pilots can now train safely and more effectively for the exact conditions and scenarios they fly in. That access isn’t limited to Nepali pilots—it also opens the door for pilots and operators across neighbouring South Asian countries. Working with EASA and Airbus Helicopters, we’ve created a much-needed access point to training that was once difficult, costly, or simply unavailable.”
Photo: Loft Dynamics
