Emirates and CAE expand into helicopter training

Emirates-CAE Flight Training announced today at a press conference at Dubai 2003, the 8th International Aerospace Exhibition, that it will commence training when the simulator is installed at its facility in Dubai at the end of 2005.

The Bell 412 full-flight simulator, which has drawn commitments from a number of Gulf and Middle Eastern operators, will have a CAE Sim XXI platform, which is CAE's latest simulation technology, and will be fitted with a CAE Tropos™ visual system.

Emirates' Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, said: "Expansion into helicopter training reinforces Emirates-CAE Flight Training as the centre of excellence for aviation training in the Gulf and Middle East."

Emirates-CAE Flight Training is jointly operated by the Emirates Group and CAE under a 10-year teaming agreement.

"We've always maintained that our goal is to better serve all aviation needs in this region, and one of the those needs is helicopter training," said Derek H. Burney, CAE's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The area's been underserved in the past, and we intend to provide helicopter operators with the support they require."

There is growing interest in the Gulf for civil helicopters and rapid growth is forecast. The medium-sized twin engine Bell 212 and 412 helicopters are popular among commercial oil and gas support operators, emergency services and law enforcement organisations.

"We welcome the Emirates-CAE initiative that has led to the planned establishment of a Bell 412 full-flight simulator in Dubai," said Paul Giles, Senior Vice-President of Hawker Pacific Helicopter Programme, which represents Bell Helicopter Textron in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.

"We believe it will prove to be an indispensable tool for Bell Helicopter operators. The benefits of simulator pilot training are well known. The region's helicopter operators are a highly professional, safety-conscious and productivity-driven group, there is no doubt they will take full advantage of this simulator," he added.

Hawker Pacific has been established in the Middle East for more than 30 years. The company not only supplies aircraft and spares but also provides value-added after-sales support services.