Helicopter Training: From the Field

New Instrument Rating Center Opens in U.K.

Severn Aviation has opened a new instrument-rating training operation in the United Kingdom.

The Training Centre at Severn Aviation is intended to meet growing demand for all commercial helicopter activities. Its cadre of instructors, experienced in both civil and military operations, specializes in helping holders of military instrument ratings get signed off to the commercial instrument helicopter ratings of Europe’s Joint Aviation Regulations (JARs).

The £1 million ($1.98 million) facility has been set up adjacent to Severn Aviation’s charter and filming businesses at Gloucestershire Airport about 25 nm (45 km) northeast of Bristol, England. The center has an Elite Evolution S723 Flight and Navigation Procedures 2 training simulator tailored to the Eurocopter AS355 and plans to add a second this year. It also includes training and flight planning rooms, a student lounge and a hangar for Severn’s training and charter fleet. The courses it offers include the single-pilot, multi-engine instrument rating, AS355 type rating, Qualified Service Pilot instrument rating (procedural and non-procedural), and FAA-to-JAR and fixed-to-rotary-wing instrument-rating conversions.

You may find information at www.severn-training.com.