Ryan Aerospace at Farnborough Air Show

Ryan Aerospace will showcase its Mixed Reality Mission Trainer for the Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter at FIA 2026, highlighting cost-effective, immersive pilot training.

Built on the proven HELIMOD Mark III simulation platform, already in service with organizations including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, NASA, the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky, Bell, Lockheed Martin, Boeing Defence Australia and other military, government and aerospace operators worldwide, Ryan Aerospace’s AH-64E Mixed Reality Mission Trainer combines immersive virtual technology with realistic cockpit controls to deliver cost-effective, high-fidelity helicopter pilot training.

FARNBOROUGH, UK — Global flight simulation pioneer Ryan Aerospace has officially announced it will exhibit its cutting-edge AH-64 Apache Mixed Reality (MR) Helicopter Mission Trainer at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA 2026) from July 20–24, 2026.

Built upon the award-winning HELIMOD Mark III platform, the deployment underscores the company's commitment to delivering scalable, cost-effective helicopter pilot training systems designed to meet modern military mission rehearsal requirements.

Elevating Pilot Training with Mixed Reality

Unlike traditional heavy, million-dollar simulators, the Ryan Aerospace HELIMOD platform provides a significantly smaller physical footprint than traditional full-flight simulators while offering ultra-realistic physical cockpit interactions. Utilizing advanced mixed reality (MR) technology, the trainer allows pilots to see their actual hands, body, and flight controls while immersing the rest of their field of view in a highly synchronized virtual combat environment.

The system features:

Varjo XR-Series Headsets : Offering near human-eye resolution for exceptional cockpit instrument readability.
Integrated D-BOX Actuators : Providing high-fidelity motion and vibration feedback to simulate authentic aerodynamic forces.
SASimulations Flight Models : Powering a high-fidelity tactical flight dynamics engine specifically tuned for the AH-64 Apache.
Multi-Ship Capability : Allowing multiple simulators to seamlessly connect for combined arms training and complex multi-ship missions.

A Proven Military Pedigree

Chris Ryan, Managing Director of Ryan Aerospace, said, "As defense budgets shift toward digital twin modernization and industrial sovereignty, our goal is to increase pilot training capacity without the prohibitive costs of legacy infrastructure."

Having already delivered more than 600 flight simulation systems across six continents—including major deployments with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force—the AH-64 MR Trainer represents the next evolution of modular, reconfigurable military pilot training.

Attendees, defense delegations, and trade visitors at FIA 2026 will be able to experience the live simulator demonstration and learn how immersive mixed reality training is helping reduce pilot training bottlenecks while improving readiness.

About Ryan Aerospace: Based on Australia's Gold Coast, Ryan Aerospace designs and manufactures world-leading virtual and mixed reality flight simulators for military and commercial aviation. Since its founding in 2005, the company has established a reputation for pioneering hardware-agnostic, modular training platforms that enhance pilot proficiency while improving training safety.