Press Release

Issued by Horizon International Flight Academy.

March 31, 2011

The first simulator to be sold in the Middle East by leading manufacturer Elite Simulation Solutions had to be built in record time, as it was destined to be shown at a major exhibition before going on to the customer, Horizon International Flight Academy (HIFA).

The Elite S723 FNPT II simulator is based on the Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel and will be used by HIFA as its headquarters at Al Ain Airport.

HIFA, set up in 2002, now claims to be the leading FTO in the Middle East and trains both fixed wing and rotary pilots.

Part of the Mubadala Development Company, through its subsidiary Mubadala Aerospace, HIFA has led the way forward in flight training in the Middle East.

For example, it was the first FTO in the United Arab Emirates to actively promote the idea of women becoming pilots and in 2007 saw the first two female graduates of the cadet programme it runs for Etihad Airways – the national airline of the UAE - become Second Officers.

Among its fleet are the Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter and the Diamond DA42 and Cessna 172SP fixed wing aircraft. Its multi-national team of instructors trains pilots to fly for both civilian organisations and the military.

The Elite S723 bought by HIFA has a dual pilot layout with EFIS instrumentation, a Garmin GNS430 GPS, 3D airport scenery for Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaima airports, an ultra-high resolution 30 minute flight time cross country section between Al Ain and Ras Al Khaima airports and a 270° x 65° CAVE visu al system.

The Chief Executive Officer of HIFA, Hareb Al Dhaheri, said: We chose the Elite simulator for its performance, price and impressive visuals. It will be a valued asset for our helicopter training programme."

Before going to Al Ain Airport, the Elite S723 was shown at IDEX (International Defence Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi. Horizon built a fully enclosed booth on its stand, where the device was installed to be 'test flown' by visitors.