Training Bottlenecks Stall MQ-9 Aircraft Pilot Production Rates
The rapid expansion of MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft operations has placed significant strain on the pilot training pipeline across the U.S. Air Force. Demand for MQ-9 operators surged, yet bottlenecks in large-format simulators and limited instructor availability constrained throughput. As a result, trainees spent excessive time waiting for simulator slots, delaying qualification and mission readiness.
Moreover, training throughput could not meet accelerated schedules, and compressed access to large simulator systems hindered the ability of instructors to provide deep, quality feedback. This dynamic throttled pilot production rates across the force.
Increase in Training Output
Lightweight Simulation in VR Unclogs Training Pipelines
To address these challenges, the USAF implemented Moth+Flame’s VR-based personal simulator solution for MQ-9 training.
Meeting Demand:
By enabling each trainee to have their own VR headset and simulator environment, Moth+Flame quadrupled training output—allowing more frequent, independent practice sessions outside the limited availability of full-scale simulators.
Loosening Bottlenecks:
Trainees could now complete procedure drills independently in VR. This expanded access meant less time queuing for simulators and more time engaging with interactive scenarios, thereby reserving formal simulator time for high-value instructor-led feedback.
Maximizing Instructor Time:
Instructors optimized their limited time, leveraging trainees' VR-generated performance data to deliver targeted, more impactful instruction. VR-equipped learners arrived with better contextual awareness and more informed questions, enabling deeper, case-specific dialogue rather than generic guidance.
Output Surges with Moth+Flame
Moth+Flame’s VR training platform delivered quantifiable improvements in MQ-9 pilot training:
4× increase in training output — leveraged VR scalability to meet surge demand.
Reduced simulator time per trainee — freed large-format simulators for advanced instructor-led sessions.
Elevated instructor efficiency — data-rich VR pre-briefs maximized each instructor interaction.
These enhancements track closely with Air Force findings: 16th Training Squadron at Holloman AFB adopted VR for early cockpit familiarization in 2021, making “training … better, faster and cheaper.” Additionally, broader studies show VR training often outperforms traditional methods in usability, spatial cognition, and error reduction.1.
Moth+Flame’s VR-based personal simulators effectively address MQ-9 training resource constraints. By multiplying access, reducing simulator dependence, and enriching instructor time through performance analytics, the platform supports the Air Force’s goal of scaling pilot production without compromising training quality.
Sources:
United States General Services Administration (SAM.gov)
“U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Training Simulator Initiative.” SAM.gov, https://sam.gov/opp/a7ef181bdc404c3dbb4062ef533aa876/view. Accessed 2 July 2025.Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
Garcia, Senior Airman Christopher. “49th Wing Implements Virtual Reality Training Capabilities.” Air Education and Training Command News, U.S. Air Force, 21 Apr. 2021, https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2587219/49th-wing-implements-virtual-reality-training-capabilities/.Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)
Jerome, Brian. Training Effectiveness Framework for Augmented and Virtual Reality. Institute for Defense Analyses, Mar. 2020, https://www.ida.org/-/media/feature/publications/t/tr/training-effectiveness-framework-for-augmented-and-virtual-reality/d-33349.ashx.