VBS3 is known to feign simulations of a variety of facets of the contemporary battlespace to allow trainees and military personnel to practice strategic procedures and tactics whilst simultaneously augmenting decision-making and communication skills. Quite recently, a premier soldier center decided to expand its horizons and provide you with an unparalleled experience of jumping out of a military airplane!
Yes, you read that right. The all-new combat ‘ParaDrop VR Simulator’ outside Fort Benning at the National Infantry Museum presents you with one of the most thrilling simulations of all time, where you hang from a parachute, let yourself lose, and hang in the middle of the air!
Soldiers stationed on Fort Benning explained how the experience was indeed ‘realistic’, and the virtual reality experience serves as a wonderful head-start to anyone who is looking forward to being a part of the Airborne in the future.
This latest invention of the National Infantry Museum comprises a seat attached to a machine that provides an up-and-down motion by the wall-side to mimic the practice of escalating and tumbling through the air. The rider is required to put on a pair of VR goggles depicting virtual sceneries and aims to fall in a targeted approach through the rings and score points. The realistic, convincing, and life-like experience is felt as the wind blows on the rider. The views of the rider can be witnessed by a spectator in front of the simulator.
The collaboration of VBS3, PARASIM, and TerraTools provides an unimaginable edge to the US military forces to clout and influence the resourcefulness and changeability of virtual training phenomena. The best part about the recently launched simulator is it is the only one of its kind in the country. According to the simulation manager, another version has been built of an identical simulation in South Dakota but is much smaller in size. It is a proud moment for the entire town of Columbus to have its first full-size version of the ParaDrop VR Simulator launched on 30 August 2022. From families and friends of soldiers and military personnel to the locals, entry is open to allow. Anyone and everyone are absolutely welcome to try out the multi-sensory flying experience and soar to new heights.
The ParaDrop VR simulator allows the rider to choose one of the six simulated scenery options, each having three levels of difficulty. From the particularly exclusive Custom Military Museum to Bangkok, the Spring Mountains, and the Desert plain, there is a lot of variety that the VR simulator has to offer its riders in its newly launched attraction.
A rider for the ParaDrop VR simulator is required to weigh no more than 330 pounds and must have a height between 3 feet and 6 inches to 6 feet and 3 inches. At present, the Western Hemisphere contains only two simulators of a similar kind.
The idea behind the creation of a digital actuality simulator of this kind is to provide a close-to-reality experience to the family members of these soldiers as they provided the opportunity to visualize a day in the life of military personnel. The simulations tend to uphold and ensure the age-old heritage that Fort Benning is famous for: being the innovative origin of the parachute infantry for the US army. Thus, the structure of the virtual reality training is to designate and specify the modernization and novelty that Fort Benning is so eminent for.
Once you put up the VR goggles, there is no looking back for you since you are all set for the mock bounce out of a C130 aircraft. The rider experiences an adrenaline rush as turns right and left, rises and falls, with expeditious speed. It goes without doubt that there is a certain degree of difficulty in the beginning as the rider tries to get used to jumping out of an aircraft.
According to one of the riders at the opening ceremony of the recreation, there is a strong perception created of what it is like to perform actual jumps when being in the shoes of a military paratrooper.
The price for a two-minute-long motion ride is $10 per person.
The crisp visual fidelities delivered through such cost-effective, safe, and thrilling platforms, military training has become more convenient than ever. Military trainees may step right into a challenging drop-zone through the simulation and opt for discrete parts of the terrain such as tree-covered areas, tall buildings, and dense grass to provide visual cues which are direly in demand for causing an innocuous, precise, and clear-cut landing.
All in all, the virtual reality simulation experience provided by the ParaDrop VR Simulator allows you to get in the boots of a soldier and gain a hands-on familiarity and skill of participating in a Non-Combative Evacuation Operation (NEO) mission. With the VR experience, you can now fly as an infantry soldier and gain an idea of the jobs being done by our service members each day. This is also one of the ways through which you get to understand why they are truly worthy of our gratitude and respect.
