Efficient operations are directly linked to the proficiency of pilots, flight crew and technicians, as well as to their ability to safely operate and maintain rotorcraft in a full range of conditions and missions.

Airbus' helicopter division provides complete training solutions in 23 training centres throughout the world – from ab-initio up to recurrent training for both pilots and technicians.

Some of these centres have state-of-the-art full-flight simulators equipped with an OEM Sim Data Pack that provides the most true-to-life experience possible. And many of them utilise full-scale mock-ups, offering trainees an experience similar to what it would be on a real aircraft.

In 2017, Airbus trained around 12,000 helicopter pilots and technicians, and logged some 8,000 helicopter flight hours and 30,000 helicopter simulator hours during training activities.

Airbus offers three different lines of helicopter training services answering to customers needs:

This service offer is dedicated to both pilots and technicians.

With the Graduate service, trainees obtain their qualification on a specific helicopter type.

The teaching programmes proposed in this service offer can be different according to customers’ backgrounds, and range from type renewal courses, or difference courses, up to complete type rating courses.

To maximise their type qualification training, customers can complement their courses with optional improvement modules focused, for instance, on avionics or dynamics. 

The Masters line of training services was built to enrich the type certification with additional material about mission equipment. The target of this service is to demonstrate the effect of specific mission equipment on the behaviour of the aircraft, allowing trainees to enhance their operational experience.

This range of services is dedicated to customers who wish to define a target for their training session, but who need guidance in putting the content in place to reach their goal.

Airbus will fully customise the content of the courses, and will adapt the training means to pilot and technician profiles, in favour of achieving the customer’s objectives and optimising trainee results.

This end-to-end service may also include pre-entry and/or maturation modules, as well as training means and media and up to a complete cooperation on the set-up of customer training centers.

As part of both the Masters and Honours offerings, Airbus can propose additional services to accompany customers once they have commenced operations with their aircraft.

Airbus' helicopter instructor pilots can be dispatched to customer sites to join pilots on their missions, showing them the ins and outs of operating the rotorcraft in their actual environment and increasing their knowledge.

This form of on-site pilot assistance can be customised to an operator’s needs to support the safety and efficiency of their operations.

Airbus has brought virtual reality to technician training with the launch of a new Virtual Maintenance Trainer (VMT).

The VMT provides a real-time and free-play simulation of Airbus helicopters and their support equipment. It is designed to ease the training experience for students by familiarising them with the helicopters anytime, anywhere in the world; providing an interactive and safe learning environment; and optimising training time by combining a virtual environment with real equipment.

Through this new pedagogical tool, Airbus provides the same level of technician training service to all operators. The VMT will be progressively deployed at Airbus Helicopters training centres around the world.