AgustaWestland expands AW139 helicopter training
AgustaWestland has expanded AW139 training capacity with an additional flight simulator
AgustaWestland has announced the next phase in its growth of AW139 global training and flight simulation capacity, in response to the continuing success of the AW139 and the growing demand for type, recurrent and operational training.
ROTORSIM, a consortium owned equally by CAE and AgustaWestland has now signed for a third AW139 full flight simulator (FFS) which will enter service in 2012. The new AW139 FFS will be developed jointly by CAE and AgustaWestland and will be qualified to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators.
John Ponsonby, AgustaWestland senior vice president Training said “With over 350 AW139s now in service and an order book exceeding 500 aircraft, we are expanding our training capacity to meet the rapid growth in demand by introducing a third ROTORSIM simulator and a programme to establish a number of regionally based training centres.”
Partnership arrangements are being finalised with a number of leading rotary wing service organisations to extend AW139 OEM approved training services, commencing in 2011. AW139 Level D Full Flight Simulator capacity will be introduced into a growing network of Regional Training Centres during 2012, supporting type conversion, recurrent and operational role training for all AW139 customers. The new facilities, to be branded as AgustaWestland Authorised Training Centres, will be the only ones approved by AgustaWestland to deliver OEM training services.
Additionally, a new service based on a FTD (Flight Training Device) Level III simulator certified to JAR-FSTD(H) for the AW109 Power light twin helicopter will be available from the 3rd quarter 2011 at AW Training Academy (TA) Sesto Calende Italy, further expanding AgustaWestland’s training capacity.
Equally owned and operated by AgustaWestland and CAE, the ROTORSIM Training Centre, located in Sesto Calende, Italy, was formed in 2001 and became fully operational in 2006. ROTORSIM USA, located in Morristown, New Jersey at the CAE SimuFlite facility, became operational in November 2008.
