Thaindian News

By Gurmukh Singh
Toronto, Aug 25 (IANS) The Aero Club of India has signed a deal with Canada’s Mechtronix Systems Inc. to purchase two state-of-the-art flight stimulators for training.The two simulators will be used at New Delhi and Patiala flying clubs to impart instrument training to students.

The two simulators have bought under the Indian government’s project to offer modern training technology to flying schools.

Called Ascent Flight Trainer, each simulator is a copy of Cessna 172 cockpit with Garmin 1000 avionics. During training in flying clubs and aviation schools, students train not only with real planes but also with simulators which create real-life flying conditions within cubicles.

“The Cessna 172 cockpit (simulator) will deliver a high fidelity flight experience replicating 100 percent of the touch and feel of real avionics parts,” Montreal-based Mechtronix Systems said in a statement after the deal Monday.

“We look forward to taking delivery of Mechtronix simulators and see these key purchases as a way to offer training on modern state-of-the-art technology,” said Aero Club of India secretary general R. C. Kanda.

He said, “The Ascent Flight Trainers will help our school to optimize their training curriculum and support our expansion plan.

“Mechtronix had a complete offer that met our criterion based on superior technology, cockpit and architecture realism, high fidelity platform, performance and reliability.”

There are about 40 flying clubs in India which mostly use Cessna planes for training. There could be between 150 and 200 Cessnas with flying clubs and aviation schools in India.

Whiles Cessna planes are bought from US-based Cessna Aircraft Company in Kansas, simulators (Cessna cockpits) for training purposes are manufactured by other companies also.

Since India does not have facilities for overhaul and maintenance of these planes, Mechtronix has also partnered with Gurgaon-based HBE Aviosec Ltd to develop a maintenance support in India.

HBE Aviosec MD Nandy Bhatia said: “We are glad to be part of Mechtronix developments as their partner in India.

“We have been working closely with Mechtronix over the last few months to establish a local maintenance support base in India for all Mechtronix customers and we look forward at further developing our relationship with them.”

Mechtronix president Xavier Herve said: “We greatly value Aero Club of India’s investment in two Ascent Flight Trainers and HBE Aviosec’s support throughout this initiative. We are pleased that they chose Mechtronix as their simulator provider.”

Montreal-based Mechtronix is a division of Mechtronix World Corporation which is one of the top three flight training equipment makers in the world.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)