EMIRATES-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) is to become a Bell Associated Training Facility for Middle East-based operators of the Bell 412 helicopter, and welcomed Doha-based Gulf Helicopters as its first customer.
This was confirmed at the Dubai Helishow 2004 by Emirates’ chairman, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Jeff Roberts, group president, Civil Simulation and Training, CAE, Dane Pranke, director of marketing and sales Middle East/Africa, for Bell Helicopter and Paul Giles, senior vice-president Helicopter Group for Hawker Pacific (the Bell Helicopter regional independent representative).
“Emirates-CAE Flight Training continues to take the lead in aviation training in the Gulf and Middle East and this new facility for helicopter training reaffirms its prime position,” said Sheikh Ahmed. Bell Helicopter will begin sending flight students to ECFT as soon as the training centre’s Bell 412 full-flight simulator has been approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Joint Airworthiness Authorities (JAA). The simulator is due for installation at ECFT’s facility in Dubai by the end of 2005. “Bell Helicopter is proud to support this initiative and is looking forward to training some of its customers at the ECFT,” said Dane Pranke. “We felt that ECFT is consistent with our goal to better serve our Middle East-based customers.”
During the signing ceremony, Gulf Helicopters, based in Doha, Qatar, signed a five-year exclusive agreement to train its Bell 412 and 212 pilots at ECFT. Training will begin as soon as the full-flight simulator enters service at the end of 2005. “We are very pleased to support ECFT in this venture,” said Paul Giles.