News
AgustaWestland and CAE partner to provide AW139 helicopter training

Feb. 24, 2009 – Today at the Heli-Expo show, AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, and CAE announced that AgustaWestland AW139 initial helicopter type rating and recurrent training is now available in Morristown, New Jersey, USA. The training programs are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under part 142.

The AgustaWestland program utilizes a newly approved Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified Level D AW139 full-flight simulator, located at CAE's Northeast Training Center (NETC).

The addition of the AW139 program in the North East United States dramatically increases the full-flight simulator capacity available for AW139 customers and allows AgustaWestland to provide its growing AW139 customer base with Level D simulator training close to their home base. The simulator is configured with the upgraded 4-axis autopilot system, thereby utilizing the latest training technologies to improve safety, reduce pilot workload and lessen overall cost of AW139 ownership.

"Our customers look to AgustaWestland for the world's most advanced helicopters and they demand the same level of service and capability from our training academies," says John Ponsonby, AgustaWestland Senior Vice President Training. "Our partnership with CAE affords our customers access to the world's most advanced and comprehensive helicopter simulation and training solutions."

"AW139 operators can now have access to high-fidelity training in two locations-in Europe and in North America," says Marc Parent, CAE's Chief Operating Officer. "Pilots will be able to practice different scenarios which would be impossible in live training sessions. The curriculum is operationally-oriented and leverages the latest simulation-based technology throughout the training."

Through the Rotorsim consortium, CAE and AgustaWestland also offer customers full Level D simulator training on the AW109 Power, AW109LUH and AW139 types at the Rotorsim facility in Sesto Calende, Italy.

About CAE

CAE (TSX:CAE)(NYSE:CGT) is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.4 billion, CAE employs approximately 7,000 people at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments and, through CAE's professional services division, we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs. www.cae.com

About AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is a technology leader in its markets and has an unrivalled range of rotorcraft products designed to satisfy the requirements of commercial and military customers. AgustaWestland is also a major provider of training services in the helicopter and defence markets through the development and application of integrated operational and mission support systems. AgustaWestland delivers unrivalled mission capability to military and civil rotorcraft operators across the world based on a Service Oriented Architecture and Approach: with training as a high level component in guaranteeing overall increased performance in helicopter utilisation. AgustaWestland has its main operations in Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. For more information please visit www.agustawestland.com