FB Heliservices To Provide Training To Albanian Helicopter Pilots

The Albanian Ministry of Defence has awarded FB Heliservices, a Cobham Aviation Services joint venture, a two year contract to provide helicopter flying training services. FB Heliservices will provide a series of courses which will provide multi-engine type conversion, glass cockpit familiarisation, instrument flying and Search and Rescue training to 12 Albanian Air Force pilots and SAR training only to four helicopter crew members. Training will be delivered on a combination of the FB Heliservices Agusta A109 and Bell 412 HAR2 aircraft. These courses are designed to provide essential training for the pilots and crew before they operate newly delivered Cougar helicopters to the Albanian Air Force. The courses will take place over the period of July 2012 to June 2014. This contract is the first between the Albanian Ministry of Defence and a British company. “I am delighted that FB Heliservices has been awarded this contract and in particular that this is the first contract of its kind awarded to a UK Company,” said FB Heliservices Managing Director Peter Richardson. “ FB Heliservices has a very strong track record of delivering helicopter pilot training services to military customers around the world and we look forward to working with the Albanian Ministry of Defence to provide the training to their pilots in order for them to successfully move on to their new Cougar helicopters”.