OREANDA-NEWS. Four operational flight trainers built by Boeing [NYSE: BA] are up and running at Naval Air Station Pensacola (Fla.), allowing the U.S. Navy to shift some training for its T-45 aircraft to the ground and thereby improve safety and save money.

The flight simulators use high-fidelity, state-of-the-art visuals to train naval flight officers (NFO) on the ground, saving time and freeing up the aircraft for live flight instruction. NFOs specialize in airborne weapons and sensor systems operating from the back seat of the aircraft.

The devices are used by the Navy to provide advanced instruction for transition to F/A-18, EA-18G and EA-6B platforms. Students are trained in navigation, communication, emergencies, target identification and weapons employment, and basic carrier operations, among other learning objectives.

"Nearly 150 students per year will train on the simulators," said Mark McGraw, vice president of Boeing Training Systems and Government Services. "This allows the Navy to add an array of virtual wingmen and synthetic threats, building a more robust mission rehearsal."