Axis Announces Plans for Helicopter Training Systems

Axis Flight Simulation is expanding its product portfolio with plans to introduce a full-flight simulator and flight simulation training devices (FSTDs) for helicopters. The Austrian company announced the diversification today at the Asia Pacific Aviation Training Summit in Bangkok, but has not yet specified which rotorcraft types it will support.

The new equipment will include a pair of FTDs meeting EASA and FAA requirements, and with full-scale, aircraft-specific cockpits with a high-resolution projection system. Operators will be able to switch between instrument and visual flight conditions during approaches.

According to the company, the FSTDs will support training for multiple challenging environments, including offshore operations and flights using night-vision goggles. Weather, landscape, and operational surroundings will be rendered in real time to support individual and multi-crew training. 

The new AX-DH system is based on the existing AX-D Level D full-flight simulator produced by Axis for airplanes. It will feature a high-resolution visual system and a six degrees of freedom electric motion system.

According to Axis executive board member Christian Theuermann, the company was prompted to move into the rotorcraft training market at the request of customers. He told AIN that operators have indicated a desire for alternative training devices besides those already offered by market leaders CAE and FlightSafety International, and that Axis has spent more than a year preparing to launch the initiative.

“What they want is for us to improve the quality of the data used, as well as the flexibility and reliability, which we can get to 99.8%,” Theuermann said. “We will fully control the data [for each helicopter type] so that [the devices] will offer more flexible training, including web-based training, reducing the time when equipment is not available but not replacing full-flight training.”

Axis said it expects to focus on civil helicopters and especially those developed primarily for offshore energy support, emergency medical, and search-and-rescue missions. The company is now in the final stages of talks with customers to determine which aircraft types to focus on. It expects to be able to start deliveries in around 18 to 20 months, and already has provisional commitments from eight customers.

Independent Approach

Unlike CAE and FlightSafety, Axis does not operate its own flight training centers; instead, it supplies equipment on a neutral third-party basis. “Our intention is to bring more devices into the market to help solve the pilot shortage,” Theuermann said.

To develop its full-flight simulators and training devices, Axis charters aircraft and flies them extensively to collect the data it needs. This process involves around 60 flight hours for each new system, plus some work on the ground, in an approach that Theuermann said ensures the company is neutral as an equipment provider.

Currently, Axis produces 25 different full-flight simulators and training devices for airplanes including Cessna Citations, Bombardier Challengers, and Beechcraft King Airs. Theuermann said that in the longer term, the company has some interest in developing training hardware for new eVTOL aircraft.