Thales Australia and CareFlight Group (Qld) are set to launch Australia’s first AW139 civil helicopter training centre. Thanks to this partnership, the nation’s helicopter operators will benefit from world class full flight simulation training, tailored specifically to their air crew requirements.

At the forefront of innovation in helicopter flight training, Thales’s Reality H Full Flight Simulator (FFS), the most advanced civil helicopter simulator on the market, will serve the training requirements of CareFlight and other AW139 operators in Australia and beyond.

Fully compliant with CASA FFS Level D certification requirements and fitted with the latest Hexaline electric motion system, the FFS will support Type Rating, Instrument Rating (IR) and Recurrent training, along with tailor-made mission courses. Pilots and aircrew will be able to safely train in high-risk scenarios such as engine or hydraulics failure, severe weather and offshore flying, including the use of Night Vision Goggles (NVG).

“This represents a significant milestone in civil helicopter training in Australia. Up until now this level of sophisticated helicopter mission training in Australia has only been available to military pilots,” CareFlight Group CEO Ashley van de Velde said.

Jean Jacques Guittard, Thales Vice President in charge of Training and Simulation activities, said: “With the introduction of Thales’s Reality H FFS, helicopter aviators will soon be able to train for their missions in an environment unrivalled for its realism, thanks to the latest Thales simulation technologies, and without the dangers and costs inherent in using an actual aircraft.”
The FFS will be located at CareFlight Group’s aeromedical training academy, which is based at the Brisbane International Airport at state-of-the-art facilities provided in conjunction with Aviation Australia.

The AW139 Reality H Level D Full Flight Simulator is currently under construction, and will be operational in 2016.

“Thanks to the combination of Thales’s technology with CareFlight’s aeromedical training expertise, flight crews from throughout Australasia and beyond will be able to receive world-class training at an easily accessible location,” Mr van de Velde added.

“In addition, there is the opportunity to access further training services offered by the CareFlight Group including underwater escape training (HUET), Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS), Crew Resource Management (CRM).

“CareFlight Group is excited to be able to partner with Thales Australia, a world-leading provider of systems, products and services to the international aviation industry,” Mr van de Velde concluded.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader in the Aerospace, Transportation and Defence & Security markets. In 2013, the company generated revenues of €14.2 billion with 65,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners.

Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services. Employing around 3,200 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues of AUD 1 billion in 2013.

About CareFlight Group (Qld)

CareFlight Group is Australia’s largest provider of rapid response medical care. CareFlight integrates its own critical care doctors and nurses with helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to provide hospital level of care to seriously sick or injured patients. A proud Queensland organisation, CareFlight has airlifted more than 40,000 patients over the past three decades.