12 African Pilot April 2015
Aviation Business
FLIGHTSAFETY AND AIR METHODS LEVEL D QUALIFIED SIMULATORS
FlightSafety International is building Level D qualified full flight simulators
for single-engine helicopters which will significantly enhance the quality
and effectiveness of training. “Building simulators for single-engine
helicopters that will be Level D qualified demonstrates our commitment
to enhance safety and to provide flight crews with access to the highest
quality training,” said David Davenport, Executive Vice President. “This
will help those who fly single-engine helicopters to fully prepare for
routine, unusual, and emergency circumstances in the safe environment
of a full motion simulator that replicates the exact flying characteristics
of their aircraft.”
FlightSafety entered into a comprehensive long-term agreement in
December 2014 with Air Methods to provide fl ight simulators at its new
Learning Centre in Denver, Colorado. The Centre will offer simulators
for the single-engine Airbus AS350 B3, Airbus EC130T2 and Bell 407GX
helicopters. The Airbus EC135 simulator that is currently being used by
Air Methods at FlightSafety’s Learning Centre in Dallas, Texas will be the
fi rst simulator to be installed. The remaining three will enter service once
FlightSafety completes the design, development and manufacture of the
simulators. The Centre will also offer classrooms and a full complement of
Customer service areas. It will be expanded in the future to accommodate
additional full fl ight simulators as required. The Centre is scheduled to
open in 2016.
The new FlightSafety FS1000 simulators will be equipped with the
industry-leading VITAL 1100 visual system, CrewView glass mirror
display, electric motion control and cueing, and advanced instructor
operating station. FlightSafety International is the world’s premier
professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators,
visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military
organisations. The company provides more than a million hours of
training each year to pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals
from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates
the world’s largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at Learning
Centres and training locations in the United States, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa
and the United Kingdom.
GULFSTREAM G650ER CIRCUMNAVIGATES THE GLOBE
Last month, Gulfstream Aerospace announced that the G650ER recently
set two city-pair records whilst fl ying around the world in one stop.The
G650ER took off from White Plains, New York, with three passengers and
four crew members on board. It fl ew 6,939 nautical miles/12,851 kilometres
eastbound to Beijing at an average speed of Mach 0.87 for a total fl ight
time of 13 hours and 20 minutes. The aircraft then fl ew eastbound
6,572 nm/12,171 km to Savannah, accomplishing the mission at an average
speed of Mach 0.89 for a total fl ight time of 12 hours. The aircraft landed
both times with fuel in excess of National Business Aviation Association
instrument fl ight rule reserves.Pending approval by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association, the city-
pair records will be sent to the FédérationAéronautiqueInternationale
in Switzerland for recognition as world records. In addition to the two
pending records, the G650ER set two speed records during flight testing
in 2014. The aircraft flew from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, in
14 hours and 58 minutes. The G650ER then flew from Hong Kong to
Teterboro, New Jersey, in 14 hours and 7 minutes.The G650ER can
travel 7,500 nm/13,890 km at Mach 0.85 and 6,400 nm/11,853 km at
Mach 0.925.PARAMOUNT PREPARES FOR PRODUCTION OF AHRLAC
The Paramount Group is preparing for the industrialisation of its AHRLAC
(Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft) including
the construction of a state-of-the-art factory and a new runway, as global
interest in the aircraft continues to grow with a number of air forces in the
Middle East and elsewhere in the world evaluating the aircraft. Since its
fi rst fl ight in July 2014, the prototype aircraft has successfully completed
65 hours of successful incident-free test fl ying. The vigorous fl ight test
programme is now moving onto the next phase expanding the fl ight
envelope in key areas of the aircraft’s performance including handling
qualities, airframe systems, centre of gravity, performance ranges and
rough fi eld capabilities.Paramount Group Executive Chairperson Ivor Ichikowitz says:
“AHRLAC’s journey from concept to development and first prototype
has been incredible. We had a tremendous reaction to the first flight
of the aircraft and this has resulted in a number of in depth discussions
with potential customers across the world, but we have seen particular
interest from across the Middle East region. We have always understood
the strong relevance of AHRLAC as an innovative, multi-role and
cost-effective solution to the environments and threats that air forces are
facing in the region.”Gulfstream G650ERFlightSafety simulator