Priority 1 Air Rescue (P1AR) was awarded a five-year training contract with the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. P1AR’s Search and Rescue/Tactical Training Academy in Mesa, Arizona, saw the first class of MH-139A special missions aviators (SMAs) graduate from the four-week training program in December.
The contract involves providing training for basic aircraft systems, hoist search and rescue, helicopter external sling load operations, fast-rope/rappelling, night-vision goggles, and M240 aerial gunnery training. P1AR offers classroom instruction, training study guides and workbooks, interactive courseware iPads, and computer-based training.
According to P1AR president Brad Matheson, “Our partnership with the AFGSC team is dedicated to improving safety, training effectiveness, and mission capability for the next generation of MH-139A SMAs. We continue to focus on enhancing our training programs to support mission readiness for our Department of Defense customers by leveraging innovation and our over 25 years of mission training experience.”
“Leveraging proven training programs, synthetic training devices, and AW139 airframe mission experience is key to ensure the transition of our aircrew from the UH-1N to the MH-139A,” said the USAF’s Andrew Blankenship.
P1AR focuses exclusively on helicopter search-and-rescue and tactical mission training and operations. Besides Mesa, the company also has training facilities in Bordeaux, France.