Deal says airlines face three options. First, they can strategically place more qualified mechanics on the ground across their global flight paths. “That is unrealistic in most cases,” he says. Mechanics earn an average of $50,000 per year; both senior and junior mechanics are needed and must work in shifts. And travel, accommodation, expenses and facilities must be paid for.
Second, airlines can fly a qualified mechanic out only when needed to fix an aircraft. But this could take days, and aircraft sitting on the ground may cost $10,000-150,000 for a couple of hours.
The third choice is using a wearable or mobile device to augment local engineering skills with the expertise of more qualified technicians from any location at any time.
Virtual reality simulation can also speed up maintenance training. ICF Vice President Jonathan Berger estimates virtual reality could shave one or two years off training programs. Deal says augmented and virtual reality could reduce training times, improve efficiency and bring huge cost savings.
http://m.aviationweek.com/aviation-...eality-could-help-close-skill-gap-maintenance