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Eurocopter finalizes agreement for training

Oct. 26, 2009 – Penticton, B.C. – Eurocopter Canada finalized its agreement with Canadian Helicopters Limited (CHL) and fully endorses the Advanced Mountain Flying Training Program. This agreement is beneficial to the Canadian helicopter industry and the global operating community. This specialized training is unique in Canada and addresses important flight training issues.

"This agreement underlines our joint commitment to improving flight safety," said Jean-Pierre Blais, president, Canadian Helicopters Limited. "Eurocopter has been a long term supplier to Canadian Helicopters and its technically advanced products are well recognized within the industry. We are very pleased to have an agreement to team with them and believe their technical support and promotion will assist in providing both a safer environment for our customers in their work and good business opportunities for Canadian Helicopters"

CHL's program, in existence for almost 60 years, teaches the science and theory behind airflow in mountainous regions. Combined with practical in-flight experience, pilots gain an advanced understanding of how to navigate various mountain structures and how the helicopter will perform in these conditions.

The standard course consists of 26 hours of flight training and 4 days of ground school. Instructors teaching the training have more than 6,000 flying hours in mountain flying. The school has trained more than 14,000 pilots since being created in 1951. Military and law enforcement groups from around the world have undergone training at the school, including the Royal Netherlands Navy, the U.S. Navy Seals and the Norwegian Air Force, as well as Canadian agencies including the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

"Our program was founded and developed to equip our pilots with the skills and training to navigate these difficult flying conditions," said Don Wall, Senior Executive Vice President, CHL. "Through partnerships and endorsements from industry leaders like Eurocopter, we can continue to promote advanced flight safety."

In February, Eurocopter Group announced its endorsement of the CHL Advanced Mountain Flying Training program after the program was audited and approved by Didier Delsalle, a Eurocopter test pilot who received worldwide recognition in May 2005 when he landed an AS350 B3 on the summit of Mount Everest.

"CHL's program offers an intensive, world-class training based on years of flight experience," said Guy Joannes, president and chief executive officer, Eurocopter Canada. "This activity will be strongly promoted through Eurocopter's worldwide network as a reference, we're very proud to support this kind of innovative training in Canada".

Eurocopter Canada has recently announced its involvement in various other training programs, including a new engineering program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.