From the Factories: Hindustan Aeronautics, CAE Join Forces To Open Flight School in India

Despite CAE’s initial reticence on the matter, the global training and simulation company has agreed with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. to open a helicopter training center in Bangalore, India.

The center is to be equally owned by Hindustan and Montreal-based CAE. It is expected to open in late 2008 and will provide training to civil and military pilots and also provide maintenance training. CAE said in September HAL was one of several Indian partners with which it was in talks ("Hindustan Aeronautics-CAE School for Dhruv, Bell 412 Not a Certainty," October 2007, page 16).

Under their agreement, CAE is to design and manufacture one full-motion simulator featuring its roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, which allows cockpits representing various helicopters to be used in the simulator. The companies are planning to provide the cockpits for three variants of the HAL-built Dhruv advanced light helicopter (one for each of the Indian army and air force glass cockpits, the Indian navy, and the civil variant), as well as cockpits for the Bell Helicopter 412 and the Eurocopter AS365. Other military and helicopter platforms may be added as the market develops.

The center would offer initial, conversion, recurrent, and mission training, according to HAL and would feature multimedia classrooms, computer-based training, and management information systems. The simulator would be certified to U.S. FAA and European Joint Aviation Authorities Level D.