Finland-based helicopter pilot training provider Coptersafety has been certified as a Part 142 training centre by the US FAA and is now able to train FAA-licensed pilots. It also complements the training capabilities offered by Coptersafety's training centre to respond to the increasing demand from the operators worldwide.

“This is the culmination of over two years of close coordination between the FAA and Coptersafety. The certification makes Coptersafety the first and only independent international helicopter simulator Part 142 training centre in northern Europe," says chief theoretical knowledge instructor Matt Presnal. "Now we are able to serve our current customers with FAA-certified training and offer our future customers the opportunity to obtain their FAA ATP certificates, type ratings and recurrent training in our state of the art training centre and simulators.”

Operators worldwide are expected to need about 1,000 new pilots a year in the coming years to cater for the expansion of regional fleets and the replacement of pilots retiring or moving to other aircraft types. On top of this, employed pilots require annual safety training for their licenses. This certification presents Coptersafety's continued commitment to providing flexibility and reactivity. Coptersafety is currently offering its FAA programmes to pilots flying AW139 helicopters, and is planning to expand to include those flying on H145 and AW169 aircrafts as soon as next year.