Leonardo’s new training academy

Leonardo has announced its new Training Academy in Philadelphia, US, which will feature the world’s first AW609 tiltrotor Level D Full Flight Simulator (FFS) (in production) and the first US-based AW169 Level D Full Flight Simulator (which it intends to introduce).

Leonardo estimates that the Training Academy will be in service as of 2020 and the two flight simulators mark a response to the growing demand for pilot training needs for the aircraft, as well as the demand for the new generation helicopter in North America and Latin America.

The AW609 simulator features CAE’s roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, enabling cockpits representing various Leonardo helicopter types to be used in the full-motion base simulator. The FFS was developed in collaboration with CAE and both companies will also develop the AW169 simulator cockpit, which will also be used in the CAE 3000 simulator. In addition, both simulators will be operated by Rotorsim – the joint venture of Leonardo and CAE.

Leonardo notes that ‘the FFS will complement a full package of training services dedicated to the tiltrotor and offered by customers trained at the new US Training Academy’.  It also adds that using CAE’s roll-on/roll-off cockpit design will result in ‘fully interchangeable FFS training solution with the AW609 and AW169 cockpits at the new Training Academy’.