Thales' EC635 Simulator Certified Level D

The Swiss Air Force’s EC635 helicopter Full Flight Mission Simulator (FFMS) has achieved JAR FSTD-H Level D certification issued by Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) - the highest possible level of FSTD certification.

The Thales simulator is used to train EC635 helicopter aircrews, allowing pilots to train and perfect their skills with a high degree of realism. The simulator meets the Swiss Air Force's specific pilot instruction and training requirements to improve operational effectiveness, raise levels of crew and operator safety and reduce environmental impacts.

The simulator was developed for a range of capabilities, including ab-initio to tactical training, and allows pilots to train for emergency situations and more than 280 different types of equipment failures. It can be used to train aircrews for missions including cargo and personnel transport, search and rescue and forest firefighting.

Pilots train under highly realistic flight conditions in varied natural settings, including mountain regions. The simulator can reproduce whiteout and brownout situations, terrain-induced turbulence, very low-level flight and complex landing approach profiles.

The EC635 simulator can also be coupled to the AS532 Super Puma/Cougar simulator in service with the Swiss Air Force, also developed by Thales, providing pilots with unlimited scope for training exercises involving formation flying and tactical operations.