News
Helisim to open first North American training center
February 28, 2018 By Thales
Helisim, a joint venture between Airbus and Thales and Europe’s premier training center for Helicopter pilots, is staking its first claim on North American soil by announcing the creation of a new facility in the U.S.
At an event hosted by Airbus Helicopters a the HAI Heliexpo show in Las Vegas today, Thales, Airbus and Helisim unveiled their strategic plans for the next chapter in their 18 year history.
Helisim will open a training centre within the Airbus Helicopters Training Academy, in Grand Prairie, near Dallas, Texas. The Helisim Training Centre will support training for AS350 and EC135/EC145. It will host two Thales Reality H, Level D Full Flight Simulators for the H145, and H175, and will propose simulation training for light, light twin and medium aircraft types.
Plans are already underway to bring the first H145T2 and H175 Level D simulator in North America to support the impressive demand from customers for the aircraft type. With the construction of a new welcome center and additional simulator facilities, Helisim is also positioning itself to support future H160 customer training needs.
The new facility will offer the full spectrum of helicopter training needs, from classroom and hands-on instruction to the two Thales Reality H Level D Full Flight Simulators for H145 and H175 helicopters. Reality H is the most advanced helicopter simulator on the market, perfectly suited to flight and mission training on these two Airbus Helicopters models, the newest, most high-tech civil helicopter models on the market, just entering into wide use over the Americas.
The initial investment for the Airbus Helicopters Training Academy is estimated to be about $40 million. Once the center enters into operation it is expected to train several thousand pilots per year both for introductory and recurrent training.
