There is a popular misconception that synthetic training is only concerned with time spent in the simulator. If this were so, a training exercise which had focused on the simulation experience alone, might fail to provide the rich learning environment needed to maximise training opportunities and so fall short of expectations in terms of delivery of a complete training experience.

This is particularly true when considering collective training for military aircrew; where all mission phases are equally important, and all roles and tasks must be carefully considered when assessing the training need. The training designers must create a scenario that meets the requirements of the total training audience (the collective) throughout all the mission phases; planning, briefing, flying (traditionally the key simulation event) and debriefing. This scenario must allow the trainees to become fully immersed and provide a ‘total experience’ in order for them to obtain maximum benefit from the synthetic training event.

Maintenance of such an environment during the training process places an extra burden on those who are providing the training experience. As the number and mix of trainees participating in a synthetic exercise grows so too do the demands placed upon the exercise management team, the trainers and the assessors to provide a rich and rewarding training experience. Not only must these key personnel be carefully selected, their needs must also be taken into account during the training design process. This will help to ensure that transformation of data to information and information flow is optimised for all participants.

Recent experience in mission training via distributed simulation has shown that greater training opportunities can be afforded if the training designers address the needs of all the above. Using these experiences as reference points, this paper will discuss synthetic training issues along with the expectations of the trainees and the training providers and suggest some guidelines for creating a total training experience.