Thales has completed production of a new H145 Level D full-flight simulator for the Helisim simulation center currently being built at the Airbus Helicopters campus in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The $40 million, 23,000 square-foot Helisim helicopter pilot and maintenance crew training center is a joint venture of Thales and Airbus Helicopters. It will house new Thales Reality H level-D full-motion flight simulators for the Airbus H145 and H175 twin-engine helicopters, incorporate Airbus Helicopters’ existing training facility—including its H125/AS350 full-flight simulator and H135/H145 training device—and eventually include the simulator for the new H160 twin once that helicopter is certified and put into production.
After factory acceptance testing, the new H145 simulator will be disassembled and shipped to Texas. Simulation center construction, installation of the H145 simulator, and FAA certification are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2020. Helisim is a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters, Thales, and DCI and is the main simulation center for Airbus Helicopters platforms. The facility operates 24/7 and has conducted more than 150,000 flight hours since it opened in 2000, training more than 2,600 pilots trained per year.