Caverton signs factory acceptance of first Thales Reality H simulator in Africa

Less than one year after the contract signature and before its departure to the Caverton Aviation Training Centre in Nigeria, Caverton and Thales have signed the Factory Acceptance of the AW139 Reality H Full-Flight Simulator in Cergy, France last Thursday. The Thales Reality H Full Flight   is  the first helicopter full flight simulator Level ‘D’ to be installed in Africa.

With this simulator, Caverton will deliver state-of-the-art training: including Initial Type Rating, Recurrent Training and Proficiency Checks for both Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), offshore and onshore missions as well as  VIP operations to unprepared landing sites.

This  simulator will enable pilots become certified to fly the AW139 under various Civil Aviation Authority approvals. It will be one of the most popular helicopter platforms in Nigeria and in the region to be fully immersed in a realistic virtual environment representing Nigerian operational locations and learn to handle a multitude of system failures and overcome very complex malfunctions should they arise in the real world. Pilots can thus train safely in high-risk mission scenarios in a range of adverse weather conditions.

Caverton is a leading indigenous aviation and marine logistics player which aims to provide an accessible platform for advanced training  and create opportunities for the sector in Africa. This move is a major step forward in Caverton’s strategy to diversify its portfolio of services to include flight simulation training services and thereby support safer helicopter logistics operations.

Rotimi Makanjuola,  managing director of Caverton Helicopters said:  “This is an important milestone, not just for Caverton as an indigenous company, but for Nigeria and the African continent. We pride ourselves in being pioneers in safety innovation and are committed to providing enhanced training opportunities for our pilots in-country as well as to third party operators across Africa. With this significant investment and with the support from Thales, a globally renowned company, we believe that the simulator will ultimately benefit our customers and increase accessibility to world class flight simulation training services.”

Peter Hitchcock, Vice President of Training and Simulation of Thales,  said: “We are very proud to share a trusted relationship with Caverton and we are committed to helping the company improve flight safety across the region thanks to the first helicopter full flight simulator to be installed in Africa.”