The first Australian pilots to undertake conversion training on the Pilatus PC-21 pilot training aircraft recently arrived in Switzerland, the RAAF has announced.
These pilots will form the transition team responsible for the development of the new training curriculum and simulators that are being acquired under the AIR 5428 Pilot Training System project, the contract for which has been awarded to the Lockheed Martin-led Team 21.
The PC-21 is set to replace the PC-9/A and CT-4B, and primarily will be based at RAAF Base East Sale and RAAF Base Pearce.
“The capabilities of the PC-21 make it ideally suited to a very wide training envelope,” the RAAF stated on January 18. “It can be used from day one in the training system, eliminating the need for an elementary flying training fleet, but also bridges the performance gap between traditional turboprop trainers and lead-in fighters.”
Air Force stated that of the 49 PC-21s Australia is acquiring, 42 are destined for the Pilot Training System along with seven flight training devices, with three to be allocated to the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), and a further four for Forward Air Control with 4 Squadron.
The first AIR 5428 aircraft and simulators are expected to be delivered in mid-2017, with the first pilot training course to begin in 2019.
FL Technics subsidiary FL Technics LLC, which provides Line Maintenance services across the Middle East, has expanded its approved capabilities by adding Airbus A350, Boeing 777, Boeing 787, and Boein...
TravelX announced that Kaszek, Latin America's leading venture capital firm, made a substantial investment in its platform, bringing the company's total funding to $45 million. The invest...
EHang launches its Global Fast Track Program — a structured and accelerated pathway for the assessment and introduction of pilotless eVTOL operations in international markets. Sri Lanka is...
United and CAE celebrated the first phase of expansion at the world's largest pilot training facility, adding 40 new CAE training devices (a combination of full-motion and fixed simulators) since...
