Beyond Live Fire:
Transforming Aviation Firefighting
Training with VR
Training for a better tomorrow
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It’s just after midnight.�A narrow-body aircraft is on stand. Refuelling is underway.
Someone notices a flicker, then suddenly, a flame at the engine nacelle.
Within seconds, it escalates. Fuel, heat, confusion.
The call goes out—and your crew is responding.
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The Training Challenge
Expensive
Infrequent
Limited Scenarios
Environmental Impact
Skill Decay
High Risk. Low Frequency. No room for error.
Aviation firefighting demands peak performance in rare but catastrophic events.
Live fire training is critical to understand the danger of fire. However, once initial training concludes ongoing skills maintenance is challenging due to several factors
Key Challenges
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LIVE FIRE: Real Heat, Limited Reality
REALISM
CONSTRAINTS
INSIGHTS
Crews can learn the training environment, not the unpredictability of real incidents
REALISTIC CONDITIONS DON’T GUARANTEE REALISTIC OUTCOMES
Live fire training builds critical skills – but it can’t replicate real world unpredictability
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HIDDEN COST OF TRAINING
Beyond the drill: Longterm impacts that extend far past the training ground
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
FINANCIAL BURDEN
REPUTATION & REGULATORY RISK
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NEW CHALLENGE�AFFF to F3
Foam manufacturers are synthesizing different forms of F3 foams that have unique physical properties that vary when being applied including;
F3 foams can be 2 to 3 times more expensive than AFFF resulting in significant increases in physical application training
F3 foams may still pose a hazard to the environment and have been recorded to be acutely toxic to aquatic organisms in contaminated soil and as the are new compound there is uncertainty on the long-term degradation impact
REIGNITION DUE TO BURN BACK RATE
TIME TO EXTINGUISH
LACK OF VAPOUR SUPPRESSING FILM resulting in
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The Constraint Triangle
Traditional fire training is limited by three competing constraints.
Frequency
Cost
Realism
You can only optimise two.
The third is always compromised.
High cost of fuel, foam and equipment and resources
Infrequent opportunities each year due to planning, availability and compliance.
Limited scenarios and environmental factors reduce realism and variety
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flaimsystems.com
ENTER IMMERSIVE VR TRAINING
Forget the limits of traditional training.
Train more. Prepare better. Perform better.
Train Anytime
Train Any Scenario
Train Safely
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WHY VR WORKS
Immersive simulations train the brain in ways that traditional approaches can’t.
REALISM
SAFETY
REALISM
COST
IMMERSIVE EMOTIONAL IMPACTFUL
VR deeply embeds skills by connecting actions to emotions
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FLAIM SOLUTION
Mixed reality immersive learning
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We have built an integrated mixed reality training solution that first and initial responders to LEARN, PRACTICE and PERFORM in a scalable range of safe simulated learning scenarios
LEARN
PRACTICE
PERFORM
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IMMERSIVE LEARNING
Our approach is to ensure that every learning event is a FEELS REAL experience
1 Build muscle memory
Integrating industry-standard equipment with realistic simulation enhances cognitive retention and transfer to real-world emergency response.
2 Improve decision making
High-fidelity scenarios enable real-time instructor intervention, supporting procedural alignment and structured in-action risk assessment.
3 Track and record health and wellbeing
We capture key physiological data, like air use, temperature, and heart rate, so risks can be identified early, not after the fact.
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VR TRAINING SYSTEM
PC mounted in Hose Reel with direct power to minimize training down time
PC wireless access point to Wi-Fi to enable real-time data capture and recording
Radio communications and Torch
SCBA to measure breathing and rate of air consumption
Controller operates in virtual scenario as a life like thermal imaging camera
Wireless enterprise head mounted display system
Professional fire-fighting branch (nozzle) provides weight, resistance and force feedback in scenarios.
Heat monitor to measure stress under pressure
Real equipment in VR drives realistic behaviour, building skills that carry over to real incidents
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enable realistic, measurable environments for high-fidelity training and performance analysis.
DIGITAL TWINS OF REAL ENVIRONMENTS
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RECORD DECISION MAKING
criteria including posture, location, communications and interaction with virtual environment
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RECORD INTERACTIONS
with equipment, suppressant choice, branch technique, use of TIC and torch and radio comms
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CAPTURE DATA FOR ANALYSIS
From training activity to measurable performance insight
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BACK TO REALITY
When crews arrive on scene, it shouldn’t feel unfamiliar.
It should feel like something they’ve done, again and again.
Because when it’s real… it should never feel like the first time.
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Fergus Porter
Chief Product and Technology Officer
fergus.porter@flaimsystems.com
Thank You
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