WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — The Air Force Research Laboratory is using off-the-shelf flight simulation game software to craft programs that can be used to train pilots.

AFRL researchers said the commercial video game software also can be used as a basis to train joint terminal attack controllers, military personnel who rely on video feeds from an unmanned aerial vehicle to call in air strikes. AFRL researchers have been working with commercial software developers in what the Air Force describes as an initial demonstration project.

Combining off-the-shelf, commercially available software with military-specific databases can reduce the time and costs of developing the flight simulators needed to train warplane pilots, AFRL researchers said. The demonstration project made use of X-Plane, the software for a commercially available flight-simulator game.

The work involved researchers with the Human Effectiveness Directorate of the AFRL's 711th Human Performance Wing at Mesa, Ariz., which operates under the supervision of the AFRL at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

AFRL engineers said they are seeking government, industry or academic experts in working as partners with the Air Force to advance the shared-technology development. Those interested may contact 2nd Lt. Luke Lisa, an aerospace engineer who leads the project, at (480) 988-6561, ext. 484.