Bell Helicopter and TRU Simulation + Training Inc., both Textron Inc. companies, have announced the official name of their training center in Valencia, Spain: “Bell Helicopter Training Academy (BTA) – Valencia, Powered by TRU Simulation + Training.”
BTA – Valencia is designed to serve the training needs of European customers, beginning with pilot training on the Bell 429. Training will be conducted through a full flight simulator (FFS) designed and produced by TRU Simulation + Training.
The initial partnership announced in 2014 is nearing completion of its facility, which is on-track to be operational by the end of the year.
“We are extremely pleased with the progress we are making with our training academy in Valencia. We continue to meet significant milestones, and the facility is progressing on-schedule,” said Ray Lamas, general manager of global customer training at Bell Helicopter. “Major facility modifications are complete and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) licensed instructors have been hired.”
BTA-Valencia instructors each have more than 5,000 hours of helicopter experience across multiple platforms and are currently undergoing instructor training at the Bell Training Academy in Fort Worth. The instructors additionally bring English, French, Spanish and Italian language capabilities to the facility.
“Valencia will further our capabilities for our customers in the European region. We will be offering Bell Helicopter factory initial flight training courses for the Bell 429, plus refresher training, with regularly scheduled classes starting in January 2017,” said Lamas. “We are additionally applying for permission to give the EASA initial type ratings under our Authorized Training Organization certificate.”
“We are pleased to provide Bell Training Academy’s customers with a world-class device for a true-to-life training experience,” said David Smith, vice president of TRU’s training centers. “TRU’s Odyssey H simulator offers the largest standard visual field-of-view available and is one of the many aspects that make this device innovatively and uniquely designed for helicopter pilots.”
The Bell 429 FFS will be the first-ever certified Level D simulator with Federal Aviation Administration and EASA requirements available for pilot training. TRU Simulation + Training will employ its new ODYSSEY H FFS design, developed especially for the unique training requirements and needs of the helicopter pilot.
The ODYSSEY H utilizes TRU Simulation + Training’s state-of-the-art, ultra-high definition visual system with a 240-degree horizontal by 80-degree vertical field-of-view and 41 megapixel total system resolution visual display. The ODYSSEY H also utilizes primary and secondary motion systems, and features a roll-on/roll-off capability, which allows the simulator to be reconfigurable for other helicopters.
