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Designing Multi-Modal Training Programs

P1AR Team · September 24, 2026

At Priority 1 Air Rescue, we’ve honed our training delivery over the past 27 years to reflect the current state of technology as well as our hard-earned lessons learned. Our training continuum consists of four elements; classroom, hoist procedural tower (HPT), advanced aircrew mission simulator (AAMS), and live flight. Because we deliver training across this spectrum, we can be thoughtful about where each specific part-task or skill set is best developed. We continue to refine our training pedagogy to deliver training outcomes efficiently and effectively.

Classroom: Here we focus on core academics, systems knowledge, checklists, scripts, phraseology, and so forth. For some courses we’ll use an LMS with quizzes and exams to test for academic knowledge.

HPT: This is where physical skillsets are developed that cannot be trained in the simulator. We train making connections, door transitions, interfacing with rescue specialists, cables/hooks/taglines. Physically working the actual equipment on an actual cable on an actual hoist gives the highest-fidelity practice for managing loads, transitions, pendulums, spins, etc.

AAMS: The simulator is focused on decision making and scenario-based learning. The high-fidelity visual environment allows practice for conning, scripts & checklists, and emergency procedures (EPs). The simulator allows us to practice a wide variety of EPs that may be too dangerous to practice in live flight. Our instructors are adept at pushing each student right to the edge of their optimal learning zone.

Live flight: While synthetic training allows substantial efficiencies in delivering sets/reps, nothing can fully replicate the nature of live flight training. Here, we put to test the part-tasks and skill sets to the test. Live flight also lets our instructors validate immediately what works (or doesn’t work) in synthetic training and informs our continued refinement.

Why synthetic training?

The tower and sim comprise our synthetic training continuum. What we know from neuroscience (and our own experience) is that when you place a brand-new operator in the back of a helicopter and slide the door open in flight, the vibration/noise/wind/height routinely contributes to a fight/flight response. This reduces the cognitive performance of the student, reducing their ability to listen to, understand, and implement instructions and retain knowledge. While we want to get to stress inoculation, we must first build the initial skillsets and muscle memory. Leaning out of a helicopter tends to not be the most conducive environment for initial learning.

We also find substantial cost savings by reducing the amount of flight hours necessary to develop a proficient hoist operator. A typical week-long class at one of our training academies will deliver 40-50 hoist repetitions per student, sometimes as many as 100 hoists. These sets and reps allow students to make the most out of every hour in live flight. There are also emergency procedures and other risky scenarios that we can train in synthetic environments that would be too risky for live flight.

Interested in the leveraging the four modalities in designing the right training program for your agency? Contact us here.