HELISIM

Helisim is a helicopter simulation and training centre at Marseille-Provence international airport in Marignane, France. It is close to the headquarters and production sites of Airbus Helicopters. The centre was established in 2000 and trains pilots and crews on full flight simulators built around Airbus Helicopters data.

The centre operates eight helicopter full flight simulator cockpits and three flight training devices. It covers helicopter types including the AS332 L1 and L2, H155, H225, AS365 N2, H175, NH90 and H160. It also offers simulator training for the H145.

Training is offered to civil, oil and gas, military and public service clients. The simulators can reproduce emergencies and critical situations that are hard to train for in flight. The aim is to increase flight safety by letting pilots practice responses before they face them in an aircraft.

Most of the simulators hold Level D qualification under both FAA CFR 142 Part 60 and EASA rules. Helisim is the only EASA approved helicopter simulation centre whose simulator qualifications last three years.

The company says it has about 50 employees, trains about 3,000 pilots a year and provides about 11,000 flight hours a year. It has about 150 customers. Helisim is working with Airbus Helicopters and Thales on a planned training centre for pilots and maintenance crews near Dallas, Texas, at the headquarters of Airbus Helicopters Inc.

Services

• Full flight simulator training
• Flight training devices
• Emergency procedure training
• Pilot and crew training
• Level D simulator qualification
• Customer support for training logistics