Bell 407 GXi Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD) for Life Flight Network
Frasca serves a wide variety of sectors including military, EMS, law enforcement, oil & gas, tourism, and flight training schools, said John Frasca’s sister Peggy Prichard, the marketing manager for the company. Clients run the gamut including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Bell Training Academy, NYPD, Air Evac EMS, Japanese Coast Guard, German Federal Police, Royal Canadian Air Force, and the U.S. Navy.
“I want a simulator that (provides students with) the most real feel of the aircraft from control feedback and instruments that match our current fleet, all while displaying a high-definition visual system of the surroundings and terrain,” said Dennis “DJ” Cassady, flight simulation manager at the Embry-Riddle campus in Prescott, Arizona. “I want the instructor station to be intuitive and easy to navigate. I want the simulator to be dependable and offer outstanding support from the manufacturer. Frasca delivers all of this and more.”
The early helicopter simulators taught just instrument procedures with trainers, John Frasca said. Now their systems use real-world data to mimic all the visual maneuvers that pilots encounter. The sophisticated control loading systems match the feel of an aircraft, he added. Motion cueing systems also have experienced multiple advances, with quieter electric systems offering more power and realism.
Technically, there are four FAA levels of full flight simulators (FFSs) and four levels of flight training devices (FTDs), although the lower level of FFSs (Level A) is no longer being manufactured and FTDs Level 1-3 are now defined as Aviation Training Devices
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(Basic or Advanced). Frasca is especially at the top of the heap when it comes to the most sophisticated FTDs at levels 6 and 7.
The FAA registry of active Level 6 and Level 7 helicopter FTDs shows Frasca owns about 75% of that market, according to Randy Gawenda, Frasca’s business development manager and a 12-year company veteran. In a more global sense, Frasca has a number of EASA-qualified Level 3 FTD simulators, and EASA Level 3 is the equivalent of FAA Level 7. Frasca has vast experience in this field, having built its first helicopter FTD in 1973.
Level C and D full-flight sims cost more per hour than flying an actual single-engine light turbine helicopter in many cases, Gawenda noted, so it doesn’t make sense to train helicopter pilots on FFSs. “Most people don’t realize that a Level 6/7 helicopter FTD requires a type-specific cockpit and a type-specific, objectively qualified flight model,” he added.
“So the quality and accuracy of L6 and L7 is very similar to Level C/D standards, just without the high acquisition cost and infrastructure required to support it,” Gawenda explained. “It’s a very high level of fidelity, but at a much more cost-effective price point.” And Frasca now offers a lower-priced helicopter training device (HTD) to meet customer needs in this market.
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