# Loft Dynamics

Loft Dynamics, formerly VRM Switzerland from 2016 until December 2022, is a Swiss aviation simulation company, based in Dübendorf, a suburb of Zurich. It was established in 2016 by Fabi Riesen, who also serves as the CEO. The company has been cited as a "global pioneer in digital aviation simulation", and as of 2024 it is the only virtual reality aircraft simulator in the world to have received formal regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The company entered into a commercial partnership with Airbus Helicopters at the 2022 Heli-Expo in Dallas, Texas. In February 2024, the company opened its North American headquarters and virtual reality (VR) flight simulator training centre at Santa Monica Airport, in California. The company plans on launching flight simulators in South America, Europe, the Persian Gulf, and Australia and is working with several global regulatory organizations.
Loft Dynamics simulators use a combination of VR technology, a full-scale replica cockpit, and a motion platform to simulate real-world flying. This enables pilots to practice complex or dangerous flight maneuvers and undergo realistic training for a range of operations in many different training environments. As of November 2024 the company has two active helicopter simulators: the Airbus H 125 and Robinson R22, and it is currently developing a Airbus H 145 simulator. In June 2024, the company received regulatory approval from EASA for a VR helicopter external sling load (HESLO) training feature, the first of its kind.

## History

Loft Dynamics was launched as VRM Switzerland in 2016. It was founded by Fabi Riesen, a Swiss electrical engineer and private pilot, who is also the CEO of the company. It is based in Dübendorf, a suburb of Zurich. The technology was developed at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI) at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences. Riesen worked in collaboration with Air Zermatt, and launched the simulators initially with Mountainflyers and the Heli Academy. Riesen stated that the goal of the company was to "make an affordable, realistic training device that removes the danger involved in actual flight training".
In April 2021 it was announced that the company had received its first approval by an aviation authority for its Robinson R22 flight simulation device by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which permits up to five hours EASA private pilot license training, up to 10 to 20 hours commercial pilot license training, and credit for five hours of nighttime flying. The company, then still known as VRM Switzerland, entered into a commercial partnership with Airbus Helicopters at the 2022 Heli-Expo in Dallas, Texas. In May 2022, EASA approved the company’s Airbus H125 simulator, which was officially launched at Helitrans in Norway. In July 2022, the company extended its partnership with Airbus Helicopters to develop a training device for the twin-engine Airbus H145.
In December 2022, the company changed its name from VRM Switzerland to the current Loft Dynamics. That month, the company announced that it had secured $20 million in venture financing from investors such as David O' Sacks's Craft Ventures, Sky Dayton and Up Ventures to expand internationally. In July 2023, Loft Dynamics announced a partnership with the FAA to test its VR simulators for helicopter training in the US. Two Loft Dynamics simulators were installed at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in New Jersey, where they are being used to work toward the safety and efficiency goals of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). In late 2023, the simulator was installed at Blackcomb Helicopters in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
In February 2024, Loft Dynamics opened its new North American headquarters and VR flight simulator training center at Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica. The training center features a Loft Dynamics Airbus H125 VR flight simulation training device (FSTD). In February 2024, the company announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, which purchased an Airbus H125 simulator to train its pilots. Loft Dynamics has several other North American partners, including Blackcomb Helicopters in Vancouver, Colorado Highland Helicopters, and Marshall University in West Virginia. Also in early 2024, EPNER pilot school in France purchased an Airbus H125 flight simulator.
In May 2024, Loft Dynamics formed a partnership with Dufour Aerospace, founded by Air Zermatt rescue pilot Thomas Pfammatter, to build the Aero3 VR electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) simulator, the first ever for eVTOL training.
The company plans on launching flight simulators in South America, Europe, the United States, the Persian Gulf, and Australia, and it is forming partnerships with numerous flight schools around the world. Marshall University uses Loft Dynamics simulators to teach a curriculum that helps pilots develop skills such as night flying, confined area takeoffs and landings, and flight in dangerous conditions. Air Zermatt uses the simulators to train for hazardous alpine rescues. Loft Dynamics also works with OEMs such as Airbus Helicopters to advance training safety and accessibility across the industry. As 2024, Loft Dynamics has entered into partnerships with SAF Aerogroup, EPNER, HMotion, Simplon, Air Greenland, Air Zermatt, and Sky Aviation and Helixcom of Italy.

## Leadership

Loft Dynamics has two cofounders: Fabi Riesen and Christian Marty. Riesen is the CEO of Loft Dynamics, and Christian Marty is the CTO. In 2024, Loft Dynamics added former FAA administrators Randy Babbitt and Michael Huerta to its Advisory Board. Ray Lamas, an experienced U.S. Navy veteran, was announced as the company's North American president in June 2024.

## Technology

Loft Dynamics uses state-of-the-art virtual reality technology, employing cloud-based software to enable pilots of all skill levels to practice complex or dangerous flight maneuvers and undergo realistic training for missions, and potentially landmarks all across the world. The ISO 9001-certified simulators, which are ten times smaller than traditional flight simulators, are equipped with "three-dimensional high-resolution panoramic view, dynamic six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform and a full-scale replica cockpit with a unique pose tracking system". The Virtual Reality headsets, made by Finnish company Varjo, feature a "90Hz frame refresh rate, a 2 x 8 megapixel resolution and a 30 pixel-per-degree display". One of the major advantages of the VR simulators is a 360-degree field of view.