Facility Will Feature Frasca Simulators
Era Helicopters LLC (Era) announced
this week it will open a new 7,694 square foot helicopter training
facility in Lake Charles, LA early next year. The facility, Era
Training Center LLC, will feature two helicopter Flight Training
Devices (FTDs), an AS-350B2 FTD and an EC-135 CPDS P2+ FTD,
classrooms, custom briefing areas and administrative offices.
The training devices will be provided by Frasca International,
provider of flight training equipment for airlines, flight schools,
universities and military organizations worldwide.
The Era Training Center will provide training for Era
Helicopters and third-party operators. Paul White, Era
Training’s Manager, stated, “One of our primary goals
is to make Era Training Center a benchmark for industry-wide safety
and excellence in helicopter training. The Center will offer a
broad range of courses and, because of its proximity to our Lake
Charles operations base, real-time training can be incorporated
with Era’s diverse fleet of light, medium and heavy
aircraft. Era Training Center offerings will include programs
designed for air medical operators, corporate aircraft owners and
airborne law enforcement personnel.”
Era announced in August its receipt of a $2.1 million RRF (Rapid
Response Fund) Grant from Louisiana Economic Development (LED), for
the purpose of providing a training facility in proximity to its
operations base on the Lake Charles Airport property. The Rapid
Response Fund is intended for economic development projects
beneficial to the State of Louisiana by providing new jobs and
capital investments within the State of Louisiana.
"Frasca is pleased to provide the AS350 and EC135 FTDs for the
new Era Training Center," commented John Frasca, Vice President of
Frasca International, Inc. "Frasca's experience in rotary wing
simulation will ensure that Era Training Center is equipped with
the best helicopter FTDs available. Era's experience in both
helicopter training and helicopter operation provides invaluable
feedback which will enhance the performance of the Frasca
simulators. This cooperation will ensure that helicopter pilots are
trained as effectively and efficiently as possible at Era Training
Center."
The AS350B2 Helicopter FTD will be configured to fly like the
Eurocopter AS350B2 Helicopter and will include exact cockpit
replication, Frasca’s TruVision 220 visual system with a
database to allow for training in offshore support environments as
well as winter weather operations in Alaska, and will be qualified
as a Level 6 Flight Training Device (FTD). Delivery of this
device is planned for late 2007. The EC-135 CPDS P2+ FTD will also
be an exact cockpit replication, duplicating the single pilot IFR
configuration that Era currently operates and will be delivered in
the first quarter of 2008.
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