Thu, Aug 04, 2011
Instructors, Mechanics Learn To Fly, Maintain 480B
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation reports it has completed training
of 21 Royal Thai Army pilots and 28 Royal Thai mechanics on the
Royal Thai Army’s new 480B turbine training helicopters. The
students were split into two groups, with the first half training
in March and the second half training June, in Michigan.
“The pilot and mechanic training are crucial to the
success of this program,” said Bayard duPont, Director of
Product Support for Enstrom. “It was important for these
students to come away with a great experience of the product and
Enstrom’s capabilities. It’s more than just
teaching them to fly a proper autorotation or track blades.
It’s about building relationships. We want them to know the
people at the factory, and feel comfortable asking us when
questions arise.”
The pilot training included a week of ground school, specific
avionics training, and 5 hours of flight training for each pilot.
The mechanic training was an intensive two week classroom course.
Beyond the training the students got to see the factory and
experience a bit of American culture. The March group got an
additional new experience: snow! “Apparently there is no Thai
word for snow,” commented Enstrom’s Advanced Flight and
Maintenance Instructor, Charles Powis. “The guys were a
little cold, but they embraced it wholeheartedly. A few even tried
their hand at sledding on the snow piles in the parking
lots.”
Powis says he was impressed with their abilities with the
aircraft. “The pilots took to the 480B right away. They were
all instructors, and will be teaching the next generation of RTA
pilots to fly. I think the new pilots will be in good hands. The
mechanics were knowledgeable, and worked very hard learning the
480B. They will have no trouble keeping the aircraft well
maintained.”
The 480B was selected in a competitive bidding process that
included aircraft from 7 different major manufacturers for a
program that includes 16 aircraft, spares, tooling, and
training.
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