First batch of chopper pilots complete type-conversion course on HATSOFF Bell simulator; Dhruv simo by next year

| By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |

Bangalore |  India | September 13, 2010 |

The first group of four helicopter pilots completed a type-conversion course Sept. 13 on the Bell 412EP simulator at Bengaluru-based Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF).

Three of the pilots were from Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd. (GVHL), and the fourth from the Indian Air Force (IAF), who is currently assigned to the Tamil Nadu state government.

The pilots completed 37 hours of ground training and 10 hours of flying on the Bell simulator, Wing Cmdr. (ret.) C.D. Upadhaya, HATSOFF’s CEO, tells AVIATION WEEK. “Now they will have to get close to five hours of mandatory actual flying on the Bell 412EP platform before they get their license.”

HATSOFF is a joint venture of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and CAE Canada.

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India Thought Leaders: HATSOFF Will Revolutionize Helicopter Training In India, says Upadhyay

The Bell simulator (above) and (below) Capt Krishna, Chief of Training, during a sortie above Mumbai airport, sitting in Bangalore!

The flying fraternity in India will hopefully give a standing ovation to the man above -- Wg Cdr (Retd.) C.D. Upadhyay, CEO, HATSOFF -- for running from pillar to post to gift India, probably one of the most-sophisticated helicopter simulation facilities. Photos: t-arch-2010

By Anantha Krishnan M. | Aviation Week

Bangalore, India | June 18, 2010

The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF) – a 50/50 joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and simulation technology company CAE, Canada, is finally ready to go live. Though the facility’s official inauguration may not be until September, the Rs 300 crore ($65.2 million) high-tech facility is set to informally go live next week. The first Bell 412EP cockpit is ready for training, and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has already granted its certification, with approval by another agency pending. AVIATION WEEK spoke to Wing Cmdr. (ret.) C.D. Upadhyay, the CEO of HATSOFF, as part of its India Thought Leaders (ITL) interview series.

AW: How significant will the contribution of HATSOFF be to the Indian helicopter industry?

C.D.U.: It has been recognized all over the world and at the highest levels in Indian aviation, including the Civil Aviation Ministry, that there is an urgent requirement for simulator(s) for helicopters flying in India due to a significantly higher rate of human error contributing to helicopter fatal accidents. Human error in helicopter accidents is higher by an order of magnitude when compared to fixed wing aircraft. We at HATSOFF are confident that the simulator training which we will be imparting to the helicopter pilots will soon reduce this factor in helicopter accidents. Besides the flight safety aspect, we are also very sure that the recurrent training and other forms of training which will be given at HATSOFF will maintain and improve the professional efficiency of helicopter pilots to meet the challenging tasks of the 21st century.

For the full interview, please visit:

http://www.aviationweek.com/india