New training capabilities launched for crews and maintainers of Airbus helicopters

Building world-class helicopters is only the first part of the Airbus mission; what follows is a commitment to supporting the worldwide operators who fly the company’s rotorcraft. The commitment has been further strengthened with the launch of an optimised training and flight operations service, which was announced at last week’s Heli-Expo trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States.

More than 8,000 trainees a year rely on Airbus training centres around the globe to obtain their qualifications and perform recurrent training, and Airbus is continually improving its services with cost-effective and tailored training solutions. The new Training and Flight Ops offer – part of Airbus’ HCare service line that provides the rotorcraft industry’s most comprehensive after-sales coverage – is structured to deliver progressively sophisticated training in Graduate, Master and Honors-level courses.

A three-axis approach
The Graduate level provides in-depth technical knowledge on specific Airbus rotary-wing aircraft. Courses are designed for crew and technician teams, and lead to official type qualification.

The Master level allows trainees to benefit from in-depth specialisation on their chosen mission equipment, in addition to their type qualification. Training courses focus on the use of specific equipment and its impact on the helicopter’s behavior in flight.

The Honors level provides individually tailored training programs with specific support to operators to reach joint training objectives for crews and technicians.

Real-world training meets virtual
In concert with this hands-on training, Airbus also has launched a Virtual Maintenance Trainer, or VMT: a real-time and free-play simulation of Airbus helicopters and their support equipment. The VMT allows trainees to become familiarised with Airbus equipment in an interactive and safe learning environment, with high-definition 3D simulations illustrating the specific steps in maintenance procedures.

The VMT will be deployed at all Airbus helicopter training centres and may also be acquired by operators with tailoring opportunities to their specific needs. Available on classroom workstations and mobile devices via a web portal, it can be combined with hands-on training to further enhance the learning experience.