The pilots and engineering staff of SkyOne Airways, the Mi-172 operator based in New Delhi, have completed a training course led by the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant Training Centre, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company. The staff, split into two groups, studied how to operate and maintain the Mi-171A2 helicopter, including aerodynamics, design and technical operation, avionics, the VK-2500PS-03 engine with its integrated digital control system and the APU.

Each of the SkyOne Airways personnel received an established certificate for passing the training. Among the trainees there were also specialists from the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation, who conducted a preliminary inspection of the training centre for its validation.

“During crew training, special attention is paid to the procedure and rules for operating cockpit systems and avionics, various details concerning piloting techniques, the aerodynamics and dynamics of the helicopter flight, as well as crew resource management (CRM) and airborne communications. Along with the theoretical part of the programme, each technical specialist also passed practical training in operational and routine maintenance,” comments Ulan-Ude MD Leonid Belykh.

The training programme for Indian pilots included an additional focus on operating procedures in non-standard and emergency situations, as well as for manoeuvring the helicopter out from a difficult spatial position.