University of Nebraska at Omaha Plans Wider Rollout of VR Cognitive Training After 25-Student Trial

Nebraska, USA – The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Aviation Institute is preparing to expand access to its NeuroTrainer virtual reality cognitive-training platform after 25 members of its Flying Mavericks Flight Team completed a year-long initial implementation. The planned expansion could add a structured cognitive-training component to a wider professional-flight student population alongside UNO's existing classroom, simulator and external flight-training curriculum.

• 25 Flight Team students completed approximately 1,788 NeuroTrainer workouts totalling more than 9,100 minutes during the first year of the project. Students averaged 72 workouts and more than six hours of training each, while seven exceeded 100 workouts and six accumulated more than 570 minutes.
• The project was supported by a $65,000 grant from the Barbara Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund and led by Hunter Pehrson, Recruitment and Retention Specialist at the UNO Aviation Institute. UNO had selected the Innovation in Aviation Flight Training initiative for funding in April 2025.
• UNO configured all Meta Quest 3 headsets owned by the Aviation Institute with NeuroTrainer software and assigned participating Flight Team students three sessions per week, with additional workouts available when schedules permitted.
• Training activities targeted hand-eye coordination, object tracking, attention management, decision-making and focus under pressure. NeuroTrainer describes its platform as combining virtual reality with exercises targeting cognitive functions including attention, reaction time and decision-making.
• UNO plans to move beyond the initial Flight Team implementation and evaluate NeuroTrainer use across its broader aviation student population, including possible integration with aviation coursework, preparation for flight training and other student-development activities.
• The first year also identified an equipment-management constraint: UNO said the platform did not provide a centralised device-management system, requiring individual headset setup and maintenance. The project team consequently developed procedures covering charging, storage, tracking, equipment setup and transportation.
• The NeuroTrainer project operated alongside the Flying Mavericks' preparation for the 2026 National Intercollegiate Flying Association SAFECON, held at Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois from May 18–23. NIFA describes the competition as covering flying, ground-knowledge and simulator events.
• 14 UNO students competed at the 2026 national event, with the Flying Mavericks finishing eighth overall among 32 collegiate teams. Thomas Reid won Instrument Simulated Flight, while Cullen Leitner and Will Skradski took first place in Traditional Navigation, giving three UNO students national-champion honors.
• Other results included second place for Thomas Reid and Alex Duman in Unlimited Navigation and third place for Tyler Thieman and Trevor Denker in CRM/LOFT. Reid also finished tenth and Thieman twelfth in the overall Top Pilot standings.
• UNO's Professional Flight concentration provides an FAA-approved pathway to Restricted ATP eligibility and uses Revv Aviation and Oracle Aviation as its current flight-training providers. Students progress through Private Pilot, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine and Certified Flight Instructor training as part of the degree pathway.
• The university's Advanced Simulation Facility currently operates three Redbird MCX simulators — one motion and two non-motion devices — and one Boeing 737-800 NG Flight Training Device.

Statements

• “The first year exceeded expectations. We were able to successfully integrate NeuroTrainer into our training routine, establish consistent student participation, and gather valuable data that will help guide future expansion,” said Hunter Pehrson, Recruitment and Retention Specialist at the UNO Aviation Institute.
• “Our next goal is to make this resource available to more aviation students and continue exploring how cognitive training can enhance learning and performance across the program,” said Hunter Pehrson, Recruitment and Retention Specialist at the UNO Aviation Institute.

Source: University of Nebraska at Omaha