CAE announced that the first CAE 3000 Series helicopter mission simulator, a Eurocopter AS350 B2 model located in Phoenix, Arizona, has been qualified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Level 7 flight training device credits.

“This new CAE simulation capability offers the most immersive, mission-focused experience ever for the civil helicopter market in an environment that is safer and more efficient than training in the aircraft,” said Jeff Roberts, CAE’s Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services. “We have deployed this first CAE 3000 Series simulator in the western United States so the large number of AS350 operators in the region can train their pilots conveniently close to their base of operations.”

The Phoenix location near the Sky Harbor International Airport is the fifth site worldwide where CAE training is available for civil helicopter operators. Other locations include:

— Bangalore, India — a new CAE-built Bell 412 Level D full-flight simulator (FFS) was recently qualified by regulatory authorities;
— Dubai, UAE — Bell 412 Level D FFS, Emirates CAE Flight Training centre;
— Sesto Calende, Italy — A109 and AW139, both Level D FFSs, Rotorsim joint venture with AgustaWestland;
— Morristown, New Jersey — Rotorsim AW139 plus a Sikorsky S76, both Level D FFSs.

CAE has also announced plans to deploy a Bell 412 Level D FFS in Mexico.

The CAE 3000 Series helicopter mission simulators feature unprecedented realism for helicopter-specific mission training, including offshore, emergency medical services, law enforcement, long line, high-altitude, corporate, and other operations. The simulator enables pilots to practice challenging procedures without risk such as low-level flight, confined area operations and autorotation.

Helicopter operators can maximize efficiencies and reduce the cost of their pilot training programs, compared with training in the helicopter, while also freeing up fleet resources for revenue operations. The CAE 3000 Series Level 7 simulator is designed to the emerging International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Type III standards, which could provide 100% of training tasks for Instrument Rating (IR), Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL), Type Rating (TR), Recurrent License (RL) and Operator-Specific (OS) training, and up to 50% of tasks for Training to Proficiency requirements.

The CAE 3000 Series solution is designed for a market which currently conducts most training in the aircraft and has been seeking new ways to improve safety and efficiency. CAE developed the product family with extensive input from their Helicopter Advisory Board, which includes pilots, operators, manufacturers, and insurers.

The CAE 3000 Series simulator features CAE’s Tropos(TM)-6000 advanced visual system with direct projection dome, high-definition commercial off-the-shelf projectors, and up to a 220-degree horizontal by 80-degree vertical field of view display system with full chin window coverage. It is also equipped with CAE’s industry-leading three-degree-of-freedom vibration platform.

CAE is also the first to incorporate artificially intelligent human form and moving vehicle dynamic simulation for civil helicopter training tasks and mission scenarios.