To prepare for new international threats, the Air Force is readying pilots for the unexpected

At Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, the scream of training aircraft overhead is constant. But students in the latest iteration of undergraduate pilot training don’t seem to notice.

On most days, they gather in a cramped room they call “the bullpen.” Rows of virtual reality simulators divide the space, while people in flight suits pack the aisles. Most of the stations are made from enhanced Windows PCs and other components like monitors, joysticks, and throttles.

Students wear VR headsets and practice maneuvers, while instructors such as Capt. Dylan Rabbitt give them directions.

“So as soon as you're at that intersection, you're going to turn to the right and you're going to fly up those power lines straight to the runway. That's where you make your initial radio call,” he told a trainee in the pre-flight stage of training.

The simulators are often linked together like a multiplayer video game so students can practice entering busy air traffic.