Microsoft Flight Simulator isn't just for nerdy dads anymore: Boeing will start using its tech to train actual pilots

The most recent incarnation of Microsoft's long-running flight simulator series is a genuine marvel, whether you fancy yourself an ace pilot or just want to crash spectacularly into the Eiffel Tower. Speaking more to the former instinct, Microsoft is teaming up with Boeing to put that high-fidelity simulation to work in a virtual training program for novice pilots.

As noted in a press release from Boeing, the Virtual Airplane Procedures Trainer was announced last Thursday at the European Aviation Training Summit in Portugal. The release notes the new program is "powered by Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Flight Simulator," and is "designed to empower pilots and flight training teams with immersive, accessible and customizable tools that elevate pilot learning and readiness."

It won't replace the physical flight simulators of yore but instead "reduce simulator familiarization time," as the release notes. It's also, to be clear, not Microsoft Flight Simulator—just a virtual trainer that uses the sim as a foundation in some capacity. There's a video showing off an overview of the trainer and its associated regimen on Boeing's website, and it seems primarily driven by a lesson plan that points prospective pilots in the right direction. It is a little surreal seeing a videogame for ultra-nerds in a sleek, corporate training video, though.

Microsoft's corporate vice president of manufacturing and mobility Dayan Rodriguez gave an impressively soporific statement at the summit, saying "Microsoft is committed to accelerating learning while optimizing confidence for pilots with safety at the core. Partnering with Boeing, we are advancing the future of flight by empowering the people at the heart of it."