An overhead view of the command pilot’s cockpit from the Apache rear seat
The AH-64 Apache helicopter is undoubtedly one of the most advanced helicopters in the world. Crews must maintain their proficiency not just in civil aviation skills and knowledge, but also in the military aspects of flight. Day and night defensive and offensive complex tactics must be honed using forward-looking infrared imaging and night vision goggles in some of the most challenging terrain in the world. Factor into all this the necessity to completely master the Apache weapon systems, because at the end of the day these systems are what make the Apache the premier attack helicopter.
In 2001, the Army introduced the Apache Longbow Crew Trainer (LCT) to give crews realistic cost-effective training.
34 January 2015
The LCT is a portable, trailer- based simulator system that includes a complete cockpit replica of the front and back seat of the aircraft. All buttons, levers, and switches are real and the video graphics are impressive. Usually five displays are employed to provide a full field of view for the two pilots. Additionally, the system creates motion via differential pressure incorporated into the seats, so
that pilots can “feel” the aircraft respond as they maneuver.
Units like the 1-211th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion of West Jordan, Utah, (aka the “Air Pirates”) emphasize training their aviators to be proficient at flying “high, hot, and heavy.” Whether flying “high” over the infamous Hindu Kush mountain range (with peaks much higher than anything found stateside)
or “hot” in the extreme temperatures of the desert regions of Afghanistan (where temperatures can exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit), the LCT can be programmed to match environments in exacting detail. As for “heavy,” on a typical Afghanistan combat mission, the Apache weighs nearly 18,000 lbs., approximately nine tons of machinery, avionics, and ammunition. To bring that weight to bear, the helicopter
The Apache LCT instructor’s station is located in the center of the sim area, between the front and rear cockpits. From this position the instructor can monitor pilot performance, simulate emergencies, and change mission conditions.
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