Pinnacle Solutions, Inc. delivered the Block 1 Upgrade to its first UH-60M Virtual Maintenance Trainer (VMT) to Global Aerospace Logistics, LLC (GAL) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In late February 2021, a team from Pinnacle visited the customer site for the second time to install the UH-60 VMT software upgrade offering additional work packages to expand the maintenance trainer software installed last year to more aircraft systems.

The full classroom suite (Block 0) was delivered to GAL, a leading regional provider of integrated aircraft sustainment solutions for military and civilian customers in Abu Dhabi, on 15 March 2020 to assist the UAE with training Black Hawk maintainers. A total package delivery included on-site testing, Train-the-Trainer course of instruction, an initial 12-month warranty followed by optional long-term maintenance support for both software and hardware.

Furthermore, a Pinnacle Subject Matter Expert participated in the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where show visitors and exhibitors viewed demonstrations of the UH-60 and CH-47 VMTs.

About the product

The UH-60 VMT, developed by Pinnacle as an Internal Research & Development (IR&D) project, is a powerful and sophisticated computer-based training platform for Black Hawk maintainers spanning all skill levels. The VMT may be used for aircraft systems, subsystems, and component familiarization as well as fault isolation and troubleshooting. The Pinnacle VMT software is installed on off-the-shelf hardware allowing for accelerated deliveries around the world.

Pinnacle’s VXT family of products, of which VMT is a part, can be tailored to best meet specific customer requirements. For this particular UH-60M VMT delivery, the first block of maintenance work packages included the delivery of the base Instructor Operator Station (IOS) package, which provides the instructor with the ability to monitor and control the training scenario, check system status, and track student progress in real-time. The subsequent block of maintenance work packages provided an IOS system capable of scoring students’ performance and providing a “Pass” or “Fail” grade.

The delivered work packages strictly follow approved maintenance manuals and offer three levels of interaction – beginner level tasks provide step-by-step instruction and guide students through the completion of a maintenance task. Intermediate level tasks allow the students to perform a task while referencing the appropriate maintenance manual. Advanced level tasks challenge the students’ troubleshooting abilities. At this level, the VMT can be used for recurrent training to reinforce and refresh knowledge or procedures and skills that are not applied on a regular basis.