Grand Prairie, TX – At the 2010 Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, American Eurocopter announced that Cook Children’s Medical Center has selected the company’s EC145 simulator training course to help its Air Methods pilots prepare for Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC).

Cook Children’s purchased the aircraft in 2009 and it is operated by Air Methods. The program has a 15-minute out-the-door time and flies under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The simulator training goes above and beyond current requirements, and is an initiative Cook Children’s chose to increase the safety of its program.

“We chose simulator training from American Eurocopter because it is safer and more efficient, and it allows the pilots to experience environments and situations that they don’t get during normal check rides, or traditional helicopter training,” explained Jack Sosebee. “The simulator extends the training envelope and will help the pilots prepare for unforeseen situations.”

The instructors at American Eurocopter’s Training Center are currently working with Cook Children’s and Air Methods to develop a customized training program that includes specific airports, landing sites, weather scenarios and situations within the program’s service area.

American Eurocopter’s Training Center is home to two simulators: an EC135/145 and the recently launched AS350 full-motion flight simulator. For more information about simulator training at American Eurocopter and customizable solutions available for your program, contact training@eurocopterusa.com.

About American Eurocopter
American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer that produces, markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services, and is an affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world. American Eurocopter’s product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. Company headquarters and main facilities are located in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, MS, that produces the UH-72A for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter program.