The Career and Technical Education wing of the high school houses more than 10 pathways for students, including aviation.
Aeronautics teacher Trip Marshall told KPCW the program already has three flight simulators purchased through a Park City Education Foundation grant. While the simulators themselves are great, Marshall said one component was missing: a system to simulate Air Traffic Control, or ATC.
“I was having to simulate ATC for these kids, and it really wasn't a great experience, because I could only really focus on one at a time,” he said.
But a new AI-based software called SayIntentions.AI is filling that gap. It simulates air traffic control and sounds like a real person.
CEO Brian Shellabarger talked to Park City’s flight simulator students Tuesday about the software. He said an algorithm was built for the decision-making aspect and AI was used as an interpretation layer.
“AI as a teaching tool in the cockpit is brand new. I mean, this is the forefront of aviation learning right here,” Shellabarger said. “We're doing some really interesting things by putting AI right into the headset where the pilot can have a mentor to talk to at any given time.”
The software helps users manage all moving parts pilots need to know from flying, navigating and communicating with air traffic control to co-pilots and other crew.
Shellabarger said Park City is the only school in the state with this software.
Junior Joshua Itoi said communicating with air traffic control can be intimidating and practicing with the software has made it easier.
“I've flown gliders before, and one of the hardest things for me was getting over just being scared to talk to the tower, interacting with the traffic control,” he said. “But this AI has been super cool. How it talks back, and it can understand what you're saying, even if you're not like the perfect terminology.”
Sophomore Knight Prior said the AI and simulators help ensure students are prepared for every situation.
“It's taught us a lot of procedures and like what we're going to do in the real world that we can't actually do in a plane, like fires and emergencies,” he said.
Shellabarger and the class also discussed the future of AI in the aviation industry. He said AI will allow pilots to better manage their workloads and could allow planes to be piloted without a co-pilot. AI will also allow air traffic controllers to make faster, smarter decisions.
“Nobody wants an airplane that's piloted exclusively by AI. Nobody wants AI to replace air traffic controllers,” he said. “But just like the computer has sort of made everybody's jobs more efficient and made aviation in general far safer than it ever has been, AI is going to do effectively the same thing.”
Students will learn more about AI in class and how it affects the aviation industry.
Through the program, students can also complete a practical pilot exam and save money on real-world pilot training.
