Frasca International has sold a Level 7 Flight Training Device (FTD) for the Bell CH-139 JetRanger helicopter for use by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) No. 3 Flying Training School (3 FTS). KF Aerospace Defence Programs is the prime contractor for the RCAF’s Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) program at the Portage la Prairie Southport Airport in southern Manitoba. The Level 7 FTD was ordered Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a CFRS subcontractor. The RCAF Simulation Strategy 2025 announced in 2015 calls for the optimization of simulation across all air force training activities. 

The new JetRanger Level 7 FTD represents a tremendous leap in technology over the Level 4 JetRanger cockpit procedures trainer (CPD). The new FTD will include Frasca’s 6 Degree of Freedom (6 DoF) Motion Cueing System (FMCS) optimized for helicopter simulation and will integrate a FlightSafety VITAL 1100 visual image generation system with a Frasca 220° x 67° field of view visual display.  

All RCAF pilots receive their primary fixed-wing aircraft training at Southport and those selected to fly helicopters return to the school for the six month Phase III Helicopter program that utilizes 13 Bell CH-139 (B206B3) Jet Ranger and nine Bell 412CF (B412CF) Outlaw helicopters. 

The Frasca FTD is scheduled to be installed Bluedrop by March 2018 and be ready for training in April 2018. The JetRanger FTD will have the capability to allow pilots to safely practice realistic helicopter emergencies in variety of regions and weather conditions and prepare pilots for winter “white out” conditions in blowing snow. The availability of the FTD will also allow RCAF helicopter flight training to continue when the helicopter fleet is grounded by bad weather and advanced technology system will it ultimately allow the RCAF to compress helicopter training timelines, if desired. 

Frasca has a long history of providing helicopter FTDs and Full Flight Simulators to defence and para-public goverment agencies. Customers include: the German Federal Police, Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), New York Police Department – Aviation Unit, and the US Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO-STRI).