India – Airbus continues to strengthen its long-standing partnership with India, playing a key role in advancing the country’s pilot training infrastructure. It has highlighted that it will operate two full flight simulator training center’s in the country with a total capacity for 14 FFS.
Source: Airbus
Photo Credit: Airbus
United Kingdom – Airbus Helicopters has been selected by the UK’s National Police Air Service (NPAS) to supply seven H135 helicopters as the initial phase of its fleet renewal programme.
The firm order is the first output of a Framework Contract, signed with the BlueLight Commercial procurement agency, which confirms Airbus as the exclusive supplier of helicopters for NPAS for up to six years.
“With over 100 calls for air support each day, the National Police Air Service plays a unique and valuable role in saving lives, disrupting criminality and protecting communities. The aircraft we currently operate were transferred to NPAS from individual police forces when the national service was formed over 13 years ago and, as such, they are some of the oldest and most-flown aircraft of their type in any UK fleet.”
“We very much look forward to working with Airbus on this exciting project and anticipate receiving the first of our seven new aircraft in 2027,” said NPAS Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager Chief Superintendent Vicki White
“We are extremely proud to have been the sole provider of NPAS’ helicopters since its formation and we greatly appreciate the continued confidence it is showing by awarding Airbus Helicopters its first fleet renewal contract. It is a great honour for us to continue playing this critical role in the nation’s security,” said Richard Atack, Interim Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in the UK.
NPAS currently operates 16 H135 and four H145 helicopters from 14 locations on behalf of the 43 police forces in England and Wales. Airbus Helicopters in the UK additionally provides maintenance and support for the NPAS fleet which includes the most intensively used police helicopters in the world.
The new helicopters will be equipped with Airbus’ Helionix avionics system and one aircraft will initially be used to train NPAS pilots in the use of the new system which enhances safety and operational effectiveness by markedly reducing pilot workload.
More than 1,440 H135s are in service worldwide and have exceeded 7.5 million hours with over 320 customers.
About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters is a leading global provider of rotary-wing aircraft for civilian, law enforcement, and military applications. The H135 is widely used in police, emergency medical, and utility missions, with over 1,440 aircraft in service worldwide, accumulating more than 7.5 million flight hours.
Source: Airbus
Photo Credit: Airbus
USA – New York State Police has placed an order for an Airbus H160 and three H145 helicopters, making them the first law enforcement agency in the U.S. to add an H160 to their fleet. This announcement follows the agency’s order of two H145s in 2024 as New York State Police moves to replace their existing helicopters.
Originally formed in 1931, the New York State Police Aviation Unit provides services to police across the state, as well as lifesaving and environmental conservation services.
“New York State Police are setting a new standard in the law enforcement industry with the H160 which features the highest levels of innovation,” said Bart Reijnen, Head of the North America region at Airbus Helicopters. “These additions to the agency’s fleet will provide a major upgrade in safety and comfort, and New York residents will benefit from the helicopters’ reduced sound levels.”
The H160 is one of the world’s most technologically advanced helicopters, designed and built to deliver the highest levels of operational safety while providing unmatched comfort for rotorcraft in its class. Capable of performing wide-ranging missions including law enforcement, offshore transportation, search and rescue, private and business aviation, and emergency medical services, the H160 has entered into service in Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, U.K., U.S. and many other European countries.
The H145 family of helicopters has been a staple of the airborne law enforcement community for more than two decades, and has built a reputation for its exceptional capability and reliability. In total, there are more than 1,740 H145 family helicopters in service around the world, and more than 200 of those are used for public services and law enforcement missions. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. The helicopter’s CO2 emissions are also the lowest amongst its competitors.
About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters is a leading provider of rotary-wing aircraft for civilian, military, and law enforcement operations. The H160 and H145 models are widely used for their advanced technology, safety features, and operational efficiency in various missions worldwide.
Source: Airbus
Photo Credit: Airbus
USA – headquartered PlaneEnglish, a provider of aviation communications training solutions, highlights the importance of dedicated aviation communications (comms) training for pilots. The company emphasizes that structured comms training can enhance safety, competence, focus, and confidence in pilots, supplementing traditional flight lessons.
Read the full article by PlaneEnglish below:
“For most pilots, communicating with ATC is not a skill that comes naturally or comfortably at first.
Rather, communication skills are gained through hands-on experience and countless hours of practice. Traditionally, a good bulk of that training takes place during flight lessons, but if you want to get over your radio nerves faster, there is a secret: do yourself a big favor and schedule in some dedicated comms training.
This dedicated comms learning & training is important for several reasons; read on to see the top four.
1. Safety in high-stress situations
Effective flight radio communication is a safety necessity.
In a high-stress emergency, time and details matter. It is vitally important to have the ability to quickly and effectively communicate with ATC.
Through practice, pilots can develop “muscle memory” with their flight communication skills so that even in an emergency, their training takes over. They can simply, efficiently, and effectively communicate with ATC without stressing about what to say and how to say it.
A solid grasp on the particulars of aviation radio comms is also important because misunderstandings or miscommunication with ATC has resulted in pilots taking a dangerous action, like inadvertently landing on an incorrect runway or making an unauthorized (and sometimes fatal) turn into the path of an unseen aircraft.
A dedicated comms training course and practice will help to make radio use second nature and mitigate these communications safety concerns.
2. Competence in pilots
Who wants to be “that guy” always having to ask ATC to “say again” because we cannot keep up. No one.
That said, when you first start learning, the pace at which comms traffic takes place can feel far too fast to grasp.
There may also be certain comms scenarios that do not come up during your flight lessons. If you have not been devoting dedicated time to comms training, you could be caught off-guard and unsure what to say when you encounter such a situation in real life.
It takes a lot of flight time and practice to build up a pilot’s competence in comms, so speed up that process by logging some extra hours of dedicated comms training in between flights.
3. Focus when using a new aviation skill
Learning one new skill at a time is challenging enough. Add multiple new skill sets layered on top of one another, and it becomes harder to really focus on and perfect the details of each.
When you are up in the air doing your flight training, much of your focus is on flying the airplane, as it should be. Comms may take a backseat.
Investing time dedicated solely to sharpening your radio comms skills allows pilots to put all their focus on learning the ins and outs of communications without also juggling flying at the same time. The next time you are back in the cockpit, your on-air traffic will be that much smoother for having spent dedicated training time polishing it.
4. Confidence in the air
There is a saying that “confidence comes after,” and that certainly proves true when it comes to radio communications.
When they are first starting out, many pilots are uncertain, tentative, and even apprehensive about the need to communicate with ATC. The more practice and experience you have, the more comfortable and confident you will feel about getting on the radio.
Employing a dedicated ground-based comms practice plan helps to take you from a nervous new pilot to a confident, seasoned professional much faster.
The easiest way to get extra comms training
Great, we identified that having some extra comms training is beneficial to both newbie pilots and veterans, but where can you go from here?
PlaneEnglish is ready to help you gain the comms confidence you may have not known you could achieve.
We have VFR, IFR, and combined VFR+IFR app access pricing plans providing everything from one to twelve months of access to our ARSim app so you can choose the plan that fits your needs. In fact, plans start as low as $4.99 per month.
Not sure if ARSim is right for you?Check out our app features and watch a demo to learn more.
Our companion manual, The Easy Route to Aviation Radio Proficiency, is also available either in PDF or hard copy format. Use it in conjunction with the app to get the most out of both tools and get ready to just be able to focus on the flying part of being a pilot.”
About PlaneEnglish
PlaneEnglish Interactive Training Solutions develops innovative tools that reduce training time and increase training effectiveness. Practice, feedback, and repetition are the foundations of building knowledge and expertise and at the core of our software tools.
Our interactive training solutions for communications, cockpit familiarization, procedures and flow training combine a simulator, instantaneous feedback, and a training curriculum, to provide users a self-training toolset that is affordable, effective, and maximizes training outcomes compared to more expensive and resource-intensive training devices.
Our flagship product, ARSim Aviation Radio Simulator and training curriculum, is widely used by general aviation pilots, flight schools and the U.S. Air Force to better prepare all pilots. PlaneEnglish is proud to be a training partner to the U.S. Air Force as well as a partner of the FAA Safety Team.
Source: PlaneEnglish
Photo Credit: PlaneEnglish
Kigali, Rwanda – Austria-based aviation training technology provider Heading365 has partnered with RwandAir, the national carrier of Rwanda, to enhance pilot training for the airline’s Airbus A330 fleet. The collaboration introduces advanced A330 Flight Management System (FMS) trainers to RwandAir pilots via Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs).
Source: Heading365
Photo Credit: Airbus
Greece – Greek ACMI operator Marathon Airlines has partnered with Heading365 to enhance its pilot training programs. The airline will integrate Heading365’s E-Jet FMS Trainer apps for both initial and recurrent training.
About Marathon Airlines
Based in Athens, Greece, Marathon Airlines is an ACMI operator providing wet lease and charter services. The airline operates a fleet of Embraer E-Jets, supporting various carriers across Europe.
Source: Heading365
Photo Credit: Heading365
Hungary – A32 Simulator Center has expanded its training capabilities with the addition of a new Simnest A320 FNPT II MCC simulator, bringing its total fleet to four devices. The latest simulator was installed in February and is currently awaiting qualification by the relevant authorities.
Source: Simnest
Photo Credit: Simnest
France – ATPL Questions, a leading provider of online ATPL exam preparation, has signed an agreement with Hub’Air Aviation Academy, a flight school based in Avignon, France, to integrate its Learning Management System (LMS) into the academy’s training program. The partnership provides students with access to ATPL Questions’ learning resources at preferential pricing.
About Hub’Air Aviation Academy
Based at Avignon-Provence Airport (LFMV), Hub’Air Aviation Academy is a renowned airline flight school that has been training airline pilots for over 23 years .
Source: ATPL Questions
Photo Credit: Hub’Air Aviation Academy
Zurich, Switzerland – ELITE Simulation Solutions, a global leader in flight training devices, proudly announces the sale of its state-of-the-art S311 FNPT II flight training device to INFlight Air Charter, a premier flight training provider based at Ingolstadt Airport in Germany. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both companies, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing aviation training with cutting-edge technology.
The ELITE S311 FNPT II is renowned for its advanced simulation capabilities, providing pilots with a highly immersive and realistic training environment. Equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, high-fidelity visuals, and precise flight dynamics, the S311 ensures an unparalleled training experience in its category, meeting the rigorous European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
What sets this partnership apart is the record-breaking timeline: ELITE is set to deliver the fully operational simulator within just two months from the date of order. This remarkable feat underscores ELITE’s commitment to efficiency and quality, ensuring INFlight can integrate the new training device into its curriculum without delay.
Rene Huddlestone, Director of Marketing & Sales of ELITE Simulation Solutions, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “ELITE is very excited to team up with the dynamic team at INFlight. INFlight’s CEO’s enthusiasm is infectious, and I am confident that students will benefit immensely from this collaboration, receiving the best possible training.”
INFlight’s CEO added: “At INFlight, we constantly strive to enhance our training programs with the most advanced technology available. The addition of the ELITE S311 FNPT II will significantly elevate our capabilities, providing students with a top-tier simulation experience that will prepare them for real-world flying with greater confidence and proficiency.”
With this acquisition, INFlight strengthens its position as a premier flight training provider, offering students access to the latest in flight simulation technology. The ELITE S311 FNPT II will be instrumental in training future aviators, reinforcing safety, and improving operational efficiency.
Source: ELITE Simulation Solutions
Photo Credit: ELITE Simulation Solutions
Miami, USA – Pan Am Flight Academy has appointed Sergio Casce as Vice President of Sales & Marketing, marking a strategic move as the company focuses on growth and customer experience enhancement. The academy is investing in new flight simulators and strengthening its commitment to service quality and reliability.
Learn more about Mr. Casce or Pan Am Flight Academy by connecting with him through his LinkedIn profile here.
Earlier this month Acorn Capital Management, a private equity firm investing exclusively in Aerospace, Defense, Intelligence, and Space, announced that it had acquired Pan Am Flight Academy. Based in Miami, Florida, Pan Am is the leading independent provider of flight simulator-based training, and other ancillary services, focused on commercial aircraft platforms with a fleet of 25 owned full flight simulators and flight training devices.
Source: Sergio Casce (Pan Am Flight Academy)
