CAE made two Air Traffic Control (ATC) training announcements at Airspace Asia Pacific: expanding the use of CAE RidgeTM, its proven and advanced 3D visualization tool and a European partnership with the Czech ANSP, ANS CR. I sat down with Sandra Rouphael and Lyne Moreau to discuss both announcements, although in this case “sitting down” is not entirely accurate, as I also had the opportunity to try CAE RidgeTM, the 3D visualization tool that is designed to be used standing up.
Adapting a military method for today’s ATC
CAE RidgeTM is a great example of a cross-industry tool: its origins are rooted in military mission preparation. Historically, this was carried out by using physical tabletops, with maps on which participants moved physical objects to reflect a situation and a plan. CAE RidgeTM is the next generation version of this, using HoloLens glasses to replace the tabletop. It is designed and used for training. CAE RidgeTM‘s objective is to accelerate the integration of knowledge, boost confidence and increase operational readiness for students and qualified controllers moving to a new location.
It took me a minute or two to get used to the glasses and the experience is only partly immersive, as the real world remains visible, which prevents unwanted loss of contact with the environment. The first demo presented the airspace structure around Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Instead of classic side and top views, CAE RidgeTM presents a 3D map of the surroundings. The typical blocks used to structure the airspace are displayed in a transparent way. The user can rotate, pan and zoom the view but there is also an added dimension: the map and airspace structure are fixed in space and the user can simply walk around it to change its perspective. CAE owns a large database of airports around the world, the 3D environment is adaptable and can be built to represent any location.
The second part of the demonstration used moving aircraft, each visualised with their past and future trajectories. This is used to show standard routes and procedures as well as how conflicts can be solved. CAE RidgeTM is not a full simulator and is not intended to replace one. It is used as an interactive learning tool for instructors and students, for briefing and debriefing simulation sessions, review specific challenges in OJT and to present 3D data to students in a natural, easy to understand way. It also has other advantages over a classic tabletop scenario as multiple students can share the same situation simultaneously online.
Airspace APAC visitors showed a lot of interest in CAE RidgeTM and the demonstration team was kept very busy. It was an initial presentation to the market and there are no ATC customers yet, although CAE is confident that it will be integrated into ATC training courses in the near future.
European footprint expansion with ANS CR partnership
CAE also announced their plans to establish a partnership with the Czech ANSP ANS CR, to address initial and recurrent training needs together. ANS CR’s experience in this domain will make the path easier and, beyond certification, both organisations will be able to combine their strengths and grow their portfolio of European customers.
The new partnership will offer training under EASA certification standards and also in alignment with ICAO training objectives for customers outside of Europe. This initiative addresses key industry challenges—including rising air traffic, evolving regulatory requirements, and workforce shortages—through a flexible training framework that leverages advanced technology, regional training centres, and portable training solutions.
Airspace Asia Pacific yields promising results
We closed the discussion with some feedback about the show. CAE had a positive experience and valued the regional conference. Asia is clearly a growth region and discussions at their booth confirmed that the objective of modernising training and increasing training capacity is aligned with the requirements expressed by multiple regional actors.
