Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Airbus Helicopters Japan inaugurated Japan’s first full flight simulator (FFS) for helicopters at its training facilities in the Kobe Airport vicinity on Monday. The EC135 P2+ simulator received level-C certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). Such airworthiness authority approval allows training hours accumulated by pilots in the full flight simulator to count as actual flight hours.


“Flight safety is our first priority at Airbus Helicopters,” said Stephane Ginoux, president of Airbus Helicopters Japan. “By introducing the first full flight simulator in Japan, we are contributing to enhancing the safety of helicopter operations. With this system now operational, the world standard in training is available for the country.”


This full flight simulator accurately represents the helicopter’s cockpit, instruments and systems, enabling aircrews to experience operations in all conditions, including emergency situations and inclement weather.


Incorporating a standard EC135 flight data package developed by Airbus Helicopters, the simulator allows a full representation of the rotorcraft’s functionality, including its engines, autopilot and all other systems by using real software and components. It can simulate up to 195 malfunctions, greatly enhancing the crews’ emergency handling abilities.


The EC135, a popular twin-engine helicopter used worldwide for rescue, emergency medical transport, fire-fighting, coastal patrol, law enforcement, electronic news gathering and other missions, has become popular in Japan, where 77 of them operate in various roles today.


Airbus Helicopters Japan’s training center–the first of its kind in the country–officially opened in 2012 at Kobe Airport. Last year 30 pilots and 185 maintenance technicians attended its training courses.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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The EC135 P2+ simulator has received level-C certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Works includes new avionics, fresh paint, ultra-leather seats, and pop-out floats

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Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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