Helicopter Simulators Finally Becoming Key Training Tools
A pilot undergoes training in one of FlightSafety’s Bell 430  simulators.
A pilot undergoes training in one of FlightSafety’s Bell 430 simulators.

The civil helicopter industry is, at last, taking advantage of simulators in pilot training decades after the fixed-wing aircraft industry began to do so. Simulators are proliferating around the world and, after having been concentrated in the medium-twin segment, now also include light turbine singles. The emergence of rotorcraft simulators in recent years was prompted by a combination of factors: technology, cost, insurance and a realization that the industry must improve a poor safety record.

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