Twin Otter Series 400 Full Flight Simulator Receives Level “D” Qualification from EASA and CAAC

At the 2018 FIDAE Aerospace Exhibition, Pacific Sky Aviation announced that their Twin Otter Series 400 Full Flight Simulator has received Level “D” qualification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and is also now being used to provide customized high- altitude training for Viking Series 400 Twin Otter customers.

Michael Coughlin, CEO of Pacific Sky Aviation said, “We are proud to add EASA and CAAC Level ’D‘ qualifications to the Transport Canada certification received in December of 2017 for the Twin Otter. This reaffirms that the simulator meets the highest quality standard for Pilot Initial, Recurrent and Differences training.”

“The high-altitude training is particularly applicable to customers who operate in the Andes mountains. For these customers, Pacific Sky Aviation is able to offer courses using advanced geodetic technology in the simulator’s visual system,” Coughlin added. “Pacific Sky Aviation instructors are able to provide customers with the exact conditions from operating bases at altitudes of over 3,000 meters in order to evaluate the best approaches and departures given the terrain and aircraft performance. In 2017, the Peru Air Force were the first customer to receive this training and the results were very positive. The realism of this simulator training is quite impressive and will add to the safety margins of customer operations in this type of challenging operating environment.”

TRU Simulation+Training (TRU) of Montreal designed and manufactured the Level “D” Series 400 Twin Otter simulator, complete with seaplane capabilities. “TRU is proud to have collaborated with Pacific Sky throughout the entire development of the Twin Otter Series 400 FFS,” Said George Karam, Vice President and General Manager of TRU’s Air Transport Simulation division. “We are pleased to have the latest in TRU’s innovative technology recognized by global authorities and to continue providing a high- fidelity and realistic experience for Twin Otter Series 400 pilots the world over as we support this industry-first device.”

This simulator will also be the world’s first true Seaplane Trainer, using the same Level “D” capability to provide Twin Otter seaplane pilots with the opportunity to safely practice takeoffs and landings in a range of sea states, winds, and water conditions including glassy water. The seaplane configuration is expected to be ready for training later this year.

David Curtis, Viking President & CEO said, “We are excited that Pacific Sky Aviation has completed the final milestone of this important project and is now “Ready For Training” (RFT). This will allow them to provide state of the art training for Viking’s customers with diverse operating requirements on both wheeled and seaplane configurations of the Series 400 Twin Otter. Use of the simulator will enhance pilot proficiency, eliminate the inherent risk when using aircraft for training, and increase the overall level of safety for all Twin Otter Series 400 operators.”