Training simulators have captured the imagination of the Middle East’s aviation industry. But do they really represent value for money?
Aviation simulators have long been a favourite for the gaming industry, as millions of children and adults alike spend hours struggling to land an aircraft safely, whether it be at a virtual airport or enemy territory. For the real aviation professionals, the popularity of simulators has also been on the rise, with more and more airlines turning to the use of these virtual machines to re-create flying scenarios to train their pilots.
With the technological advances moving at such a fast pace, the most up-to-date simulators are mind-blowingly advanced and realistic – and equally expensive. But as the Middle East’s competitive aviation industry continues to channel millions of dollars into this training niche, does this considerable investment really represent value for money?
As one of the heavyweights in the world of full-flight simulators, global manufacturer CAE has deployed more than 1000 simulators around the world, and the Middle East is undoubtedly one of its growing markets.
“The Middle East continues to be a growth region for aviation of all types, and therefore the requirements for training continue to expand in the region,” explains Camille Mariamo, managing director of Emirates CAE Flight Training (ECFT), a joint venture between CAE and Dubai-based Emirates Group to provide a training facility for commercial airlines and business jet operators.
Mariamo maintains that simulation-based training plays a vital role in the development of pilots, technicians and cabin crew. “We believe that leveraging simulation-based technologies brings safety, efficiency and productivity improvements for aviation customers,” he explains. “We have invested a significant amount in research and development so that our suite of integrated, simulation-based products continues to offer more technology and capability at lower cost.”
Just last month, CAE announced the sale of two full-flight simulators (FFS) to Saudi Arabian Airlines and ECFT in
the region, and a third to Bombardier, with the three orders valued at a staggering total list price of nearly US$50 million. Not surprisingly, Mariamo believes that despite this enormous cost, simulation-based training remains ‘most definitely’ a solid and wise investment.
“It is less expensive than training in the aircraft itself. More importantly, simulation can provide the types of training experiences which are not practical or safe to attempt in an aircraft,” he argues. “Pilots can be presented with equipment malfunctions and realistic emergencies and can also be immersed in a wide range of weather conditions in the complete safety of the simulator.”
His partners at the Emirates Group would agree. As part of the airline’s own training programme, Emirates uses several types of training devices, ranging from computer-based trainers to fixed-based simulators as well as full-flight simulators. “The primary objective of any airline when providing training to their pilots is to provide them with the Knowledge, Skills and Attitude (KSA) required for him/her to operate an aircraft safely and efficiently as a crew member, in normal and non-normal conditions,” says Captain Martin Mahoney, senior vice president flight training, Emirates Group.
The steps which go into building up an Emirates simulation are tailored to the airline. When aircraft manufacturers and airlines design a course, a complete breakdown and definition of the tasks and sub-tasks required to operate an aircraft from point A to point B has to be formulated by a team of experts, taking into account operations in normal and non-normal conditions.
“The appropriate type and level of simulation device is applied to the task being tested in order to assess the required KSA,” Mahoney continues. “For example, if one was to be trained on how to start an engine, a fixed-based simulator would be deemed sufficient. However, if we wanted to test how to handle an aircraft in an engine failure scenario, a full-flight simulator would be used.”
Like Mariamo, Mahoney agrees that, in general, simulators play an important role in providing a realistic environment appropriate to the level of task being trained, in the most cost-effective and safe way possible.
“The latest full-flight simulators provide a high level of fidelity in both physical characteristics and sensory cues - which include things like sound, motion and visuals systems,” he says. “At Emirates, all nine full-flight simulators are classified as Level D simulators, allowing the highest level of realism. So much so that regulations allow an experienced pilot to complete all conversion training on this type of simulator, before resuming normal line operations on a real aircraft.”
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