Draxon Launches VR De-Icing Training Course for Ground Handling Personnel
Why It MattersStandalone-headset simulation lets ground handlers practise de-icing year-round without burning fluid or idling vehicles, which could lower the operating cost of seasonal winter-readiness training.
Draxon has introduced a virtual reality de-icing training course designed to help ground handling personnel develop equipment operating skills and practice aircraft de-icing procedures without taking equipment out of service. The course is available through Draxon's VR training application and includes seven lessons across two modules covering de-icer components, controls, safety features and aircraft de-icing techniques.
Trainees work with a virtual de-icing vehicle equipped with an enclosed operator cabin and a 12-meter telescopic boom. After learning the equipment's controls and fluid types, operators practice spraying techniques on a simulated aircraft wing, working from the wingtip toward the wing root. The application scores trainees on completion time, fluid consumption, spray sequence and spray distance. Training also addresses no-spray zones and procedures applicable to other de-icing equipment and aircraft types.
The course runs on standalone VR headsets, removing the need for dedicated simulator hardware or physical de-icing equipment. According to Draxon, this allows ground handlers to train throughout the year without consuming de-icing fluid or removing equipment from operational service. Additional lessons covering tail de-icing, full-aircraft procedures and a scored assessment are scheduled for release in the coming weeks.
Paul Schwarzenholz, founder and CEO of Draxon, said de-icing training can become faster, more flexible and more cost-effective, and noted that the course was developed in eight weeks and designed around SAE de-icing training standards. Draxon plans to demonstrate the course at the SAE G-12 Aircraft Ground Deicing Steering Group meeting in Montreal on Oct. 19-22.
