The US Air Force is taking their recruiting to new heights with a virtual reality experience dubbed the Air Force Performance Lab.

In conjunction with GSD&M out of Austin, Texas and Reel FX VR, a dedicated virtual reality division of digital studio Reel FX, the Air Force Performance Lab is a unique mobile VR experience to attract tech-minded youth with interests in Special Operations and careers in the Air Force. The latest marketing tour for the experience launched this past Memorial Day weekend at the Salute to Veterans Air Show in Columbia, Mo.

The centerpiece of the Air Force Performance Lab is an Oculus Rift flight simulator where participants can pilot a fighter jet through a challenging course, using throttle and stick controls, where they are judged on speed and accuracy. The simulator includes haptic feedback from an integrated SUBPAC rumble seat and dynamic feedback from a mock Air Traffic Controller.

In addition to the VR flight simulator, GSD&M and Reel FX VR included other interactive challenges such as a Kinect 2 pull-up bar challenge, a cognitive test on a 42-inch touchscreen, and a iPad-based career room.

Reel FX Head of Interactive, Dan Ferguson notes, “The breadth of content and the variety of experiences that potential Airmen can interact with gives them real insight into various career options available. Creating VR and interactive content that could meet the exact standards of the USAF and challenge civilians was quite an undertaking, but we think that the result is something totally unique.”

With the Air Force Recruiting Service looking to hire over 21,000 new airmen in 2015, virtual reality experiences like this may prove to be the immersive magic bullet that steers young individuals into a Air Force career.