Press Release
Issued by Elite Simulation Solutions.
July 4, 2008
A new Elite simulator is bringing huge cost and progress benefits to students at Severn Aviation, the specialist helicopter training school and charter company based at Goucestershire Airport.
The Elite S723 FNPT II simulator is based on the Eurocopter AS350 and has received full JAR-STD3H CAA approval, so is now in use to help train helicopter pilots.
CFI Capt. Mark Dennis said: "It is an excellent tool that saves students time and money. For a full IR, 40 of the 50 required hours can be done on the simulator and for pilots converting from an FAA licence, 10 of the 15 required hours are possible.
"This is a big cost saving to our students, which makes it very attractive. But there is also another superb benefit – the Elite system is so accurate and so easy to use that there is a seamless transition from simulator to the actual aircraft. We are getting a 100% success rate and are really pleased that we chose Elite."
Severn Aviation was set up by Peter Saunders as a helicopter charter company, using the Bell B206 JetRanger, Eurocopter AS355 and Agusta 109. As part of a planned expansion a state-of-the art centre was inaugurated to specifically offer top end training to students wanting the Instrument Rating (IR) as part of their route to becoming professional pilots.
The Elite system comes with a three-channel external vision system and also some unique features – including UK RealView visual scenery featuring aerial photography imagery coverage at 5m resolution for England & Wales in general, and Elite's latest ultra high resolution imagery which, in this case, is Gloucestershire Airport coverage based on 50cm resolution and 3D models of the airport containing exact replicas of the airport buildings in terms of colours, textures and so on.
Capt. Dennis, who was formerly head of training for Police Aviation Services and who has over 15 years of helicopter instrument training experience, said: "You really can't get much better than that and our students will benefit enormously from the facilities and features of the Elite simulator."
