The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Air Support Division has adopted virtual reality (VR) technology to train its helicopter pilots, aiming to improve safety and efficiency.
As the largest municipal airborne law enforcement unit in the U.S., the LAPD has become the first agency in the country to integrate VR into pilot training. The department recently installed a cutting-edge flight simulator developed by Loft Dynamics. The announcement was made during Verticon, the industry’s largest trade show, held in Dallas, Texas.
The agency first unveiled its new Airbus H125 VR flight simulation training device (FSTD) during its annual Southern California Regional Public Safety Aviation Exercise at the Hooper Memorial Heliport in November 2024. While details of its partnership with Loft Dynamics were still under wraps at the time, attendees received an exclusive first look at the LAPD’s latest training tool.
The Loft Dynamics VR FSTD features an immersive six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform and a full-scale replica cockpit of the H125. It will serve the department’s 50 pilots, providing regular training sessions at the heliport.
“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,” said Kevin Gallagher, LAPD’s chief pilot.
Acquiring the Loft Dynamics VR simulator enhances the safety, efficiency, realism, and accessibility of training, allowing pilots to practice in highly realistic conditions, according to the department. The system prepares them for scenarios such as nighttime operations, high-speed chases, emergency procedures, and mission-specific exercises that integrate the Tyler Special Operations Platform within the virtual cabin.
In collaboration with Loft Dynamics, Gallagher has developed a VR-centric training curriculum for the LAPD, praising the realism of the full-motion platform for “revolutionizing the way we train.”
“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,” he said.
The LAPD is taking its training to the next level with Loft Dynamics’ newly released VR demonstration platform, LofTWIN. This tool allows chief pilots and operators to create and share scenario-based and maneuver-specific lessons in virtual reality, bringing a level of realism and accessibility to flight training.
Gallagher has developed VR lessons covering critical procedures, from aerial chases to emergency landings. In these immersive sessions, an LAPD pilot sits beside Gallagher’s full-body avatar in a simulated cockpit, feeling the force feedback of the controls while receiving his real-time verbal guidance. This setup ensures a highly realistic and interactive learning experience, available 24/7.
Beyond just hands-on training, LofTWIN’s performance tracking tools enable pilots to measure their progress against Gallagher’s expertise, following evidence-based training practices to refine their skills with precision.
But the impact of LofTWIN doesn’t stop at the LAPD. The department is now sharing its training with law enforcement agencies worldwide. Pilots anywhere with access to a Loft Dynamics simulator can step into the virtual cockpit alongside Gallagher, learning from one of the most experienced aerial law enforcement pilots in the field.
“LAPD’s pioneering adoption of our technology demonstrates how VR can transform localized programs into global benchmarks for safety and skill development,” said Fabi Riesen, founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics. “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.”
The Loft Dynamics VR FSTD is currently the only simulator qualified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
For a detailed look at the LAPD’s training program, check out the feature article in Vertical‘s special Verticon Mega Issue, and tune in to the Hangar Z Podcast where hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely interview Gallagher about the department’s new VR FSTD.
