Aerospace

Thales UK providing simulators for Hua-Ou Aviation Training Centre and EVA Airways

Posted 23 May 2012

Thales UK has been selected by Hua-Ou Aviation Training Centre - a joint venture between Airbus China and China Aviation Supplies Holding Company - to provide an Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) and has also been chosen by EVA Airways to provide it with Airbus A320 and Boeing B777-300ER Level D Full Flight Simulators.

Above: (left to right) Ke Jian Tan, General Manager of CASC (China Aviation Supplies Import And Export Corporation), Raymond Lim, General Manager of Hua-Ou (and Airbus Customer Support in China) and Jean-Pierre Pourre, Sales Director, Civil Simulation, Thales UK.

The A320 FFS for the Centre, which will be installed and ready for training before the end of 2012, will be the first Thales latest generation RealitySeven FFS product to enter service in Hua-Ou and in China.

The Thales FFS will be equipped with Rockwell Collins’ latest generation EP8000 Visual System. It will be a multi-configuration device, consisting of dual engine fit supporting the CFM* and IAE** engines and both flight management guidance computer configurations Thales/Honeywell and Thales/General Electric integrated with high fidelity simulated multipurpose control display units. There are four other RealitySeven A320 FFSs already in operation at Airbus’s Toulouse and Miami training centres. This simulator will introduce new features including a dual language English/Chinese instructor station, remote instructor operating station via iPad and an enhanced brief/debrief system.

Thales customer support organisation will guarantee the highest possible levels of availability for the training devices, and keep the simulator current with the latest aircraft standards, which accommodates the migration to the new fuel saving A320neo, scheduled for entry into service in 2015.

This will be the third Thales-built A320 FFS to enter into service at Hua-Ou, as the expansion of the Hua-Ou A320 simulator fleet reflects the increasing training needs to sustain the growing number of A320 aircraft in operation in China and South East Asia.

Marion Broughton, head of Thales UK’s aerospace business, said: "Thales is very pleased to win this contract award from Hua-Ou Aviation Training Centre demonstrating Thales’s ability to meet the demanding simulator performances that Airbus is looking for in order to offer the best training means and training environment to his Airlines Customers."

Olivier Guibert, President of Thales China, said: "We are delighted that Hua-Ou Aviation Training Center in China, has chosen Thales technology once again to accommodate its rapidly increasing pilot training needs."

The contract to provide EVA Airways with Airbus A320 and Boeing B777-300ER Level D Full Flight Simulators,is part of EVA Airways’ expansion plan to its state of the art Flight Training Academy located at Taoyuan near Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan.

The facility currently operates A330, B747-400, B777-300ER and MD-11 Level D Full Flight Simulators.

The two simulators will be equipped with Rockwell Collins latest generation EP8000 Visual System and the contract includes an Enhanced Flight Crew Debriefing System.

The A320 simulator will be ready for training in the third quarter of 2013. It will feature both CFM and IAE engines to cater for EVA Airways and third party training demand. The B777-300ER simulator is set to be ready for training by the first quarter of 2014.

The expansion of its Flight Training Academy is in line with the airline’s fleet expansion plan and will set a new standard in the delivery of flight training services to EVA Airways and to the region.

Marion Broughton said: "Thales is very pleased to have been awarded this significant contract and we welcome the opportunity to support EVA Airways in the field of Flight Crew training. I am confident that the equipment provided will also sustain the growth of EVA Airways’ fleet and the expansion of its network. Safety and security are our key concerns, and these new RealitySeven simulators will ensure this is achieved both professionally and cost-effectively."

Jean-Louis Moraud, President of Thales Taiwan, said: "With its outstanding corporate leadership, EVA Airways has embraced the change and transformed into one of the leading international airlines. Thales Taiwan is very proud to have EVA Airways as the first customer in Taiwan to down select the Reality Seven FFS. We are exciting to enter into this cooperation with EVA Airways to share the joy of growth of this successful airline."