Leonardo-Finmeccanica to support AW139 helicopter training services in Australasia

Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced it has signed agreements with Toll Helicopters of Australia (Toll Group) for the support of its new AgustaWestland AW139 Level D Full Flight Simulator and to establish Toll Helicopters as an authorized training center for the Australasian region.

The AW139 Full Flight Simulator, jointly developed by Leonardo and CAE and installed within Toll’s new state-of-the-art helicopter operational training center in Sydney, has successfully passed the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) initial qualification as Full Flight Simulator Level D, first civil helicopter simulator to achieve both EASA and CASA recognition in Australia.

Regarding the simulator, very positive feedback has been received by the pilots for the quality of the device, its training capabilities and the unmatched level of realism of the synthetic flight experience.

The simulator is now coming into service and it will benefit from continued updates to meet the latest product requirements set by Leonardo. The authorized training center agreement will establish Toll Helicopters as a regional center for the delivery of quality AW139 training courses fully compliant with Leonardo’s standards.

The arrangement includes a very close working relationship with the Leonardo’s flagship training academy in Italy, which will also be responsible for training Toll Helicopters instructors and with the Leonardo’s training academy in Malaysia, which will support the approval process of the authorized training center and collaborate with it operationally.

These agreements mark another evolutionary step forward in the growth and development of the company’s global helicopter training network and its commitment to supporting its customers as close as possible to the point of operations, as well as to reinforce its services in Australasia to support its growing helicopter fleet.

Mark Delany general manager, Toll Helicopters, said: “We are extremely proud to be appointed as the authorized training center for the region by Leonardo. This allows us to provide OEM [original equipment manufacturer] supported training to all AW139 operations in the region.  To have full access to Leonardo’s training systems and technical support models guarantees the highest quality and fidelity of training for all aircrews.”