New Mixed-Reality Trainer Transforms Maintenance Instruction

The DiSTI Corporation, in partnership with JF Taylor, have launched the CH-47 Chinook Mixed-Reality (MR) Maintenance Trainer. The system combines real aircraft hardware with immersive simulation to deliver scalable, cost-effective maintenance training for military technicians.

Developed to reduce the cost and limited accessibility of traditional maintenance devices, the MR system integrates DiSTI’s VE Studio platform with JF Taylor’s hardware to provide hands-on realism in a compact, deployable footprint. The trainer enables tactile interaction with repurposed CH-47 Control Display Units embedded within an interactive digital cockpit.

According to DiSTI, a  key advantage of this approach is reduced hardware dependency and infrastructure needs. Traditional maintenance trainers often require operational aircraft components and dedicated physical space. The MR trainer operates with legacy hardware, extending asset value and lowering overall cost.

“This solution represents a major step forward in how defense organizations and the military approach technical training,” said John Hayward, CEO of The DiSTI Corporation. “By combining physical aircraft components with a dynamic virtual environment, we’ve created a scalable platform that delivers realistic practice and data-driven performance insights, without the logistical challenges of traditional full-scale trainers.”

The MR trainer allows students to interact with authentic controls while performing preflight, postflight, operation, and maintenance procedures in a virtual model. It records user actions in real time, enabling both automated performance analysis and instructor-guided feedback.

“Partnering with DiSTI allowed us to merge our systems integration expertise with DiSTI’s proven VE Studio technology,” said Chris Wasniak, COO of JF Taylor. “The result is a rugged, adaptable trainer that gives maintainers a realistic, tactile experience anywhere, whether in a classroom, in the field, or on deployment which drives readiness into our warfighters.”

From a learning standpoint, the combined physical-virtual interaction improves student engagement, learning, and retention. Research in the field of human performance and technical training supports the effectiveness of multimodal instruction in building procedural memory and diagnostic capability. The DiSTI MR trainer supports this by engaging both cognitive and motor functions through realistic interfaces and interactive visualization.

Instructor feedback gathered during early evaluations indicates that students are more confident and better prepared when transitioning to live equipment after using the MR system. Performance data collected during sessions has also been used to refine lesson pacing, reduce training time, and improve remediation strategies.