Boeing touts T-45 simulator use

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ST. LOUIS, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- More U.S. Navy flight training for T-45 aircraft is taking place on the ground instead of the air with the use of training simulators from Boeing.

Boeing said it delivered four T-45 flight simulators to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida and they are now in operation, cutting overall training costs and freeing aircraft for live flight instruction.

The simulators, using high-fidelity visuals, specifically train naval flight officers, who sit in the rear seat of aircraft and operate airborne weapons and sensor systems. After completing training on T-45s, the officers can transition to F/A-18, EA-18G and EA-6B aircraft.

Included in their simulator training is instruction on navigation, communications, response to aircraft emergencies, target identification and basic aircraft carrier operations.

"Nearly 150 students per year will train on the simulators," said Mark McGraw, vice president of Boeing Training Systems and Government Services. "This allows the Navy to add an array of virtual wingmen and synthetic threats, building a more robust mission rehearsal."