NLX's sale of an Avro RJX simulator to the aircraft's manufacturer, BAE Systems, signals the US company's entry into the regional jet market.
The Level D-capable simulator will be delivered to BAE's regional aircraft customer training centre in Woodford, UK, in early 2003.
After penetrating the business jet market with the sale of five Level D simulators to GE Capital SimuFlite, Sterling, Virginia-based NLX had targeted regional jets as its next niche. The first of the SimuFlite simulators, for the Raytheon Beechjet, entered training last month. Two more will be delivered this year.
NLX is working with Thales Training & Simulation on the RJX simulator. The two companies are collaborating on two more business jet simulators for the Dassault Falcon 900 and 2000, which will be delivered to SimuFlite in 2003.
With regionals forecast to fare better than majors in the slump, regional jet training is expected to stay on track.
Pan Am's regional airline centre has opened in Dulles, Virginia, with simulators for the BAe 146, Bombardier CRJ, Fairchild Dornier 328JET, and Jetstream 31/32 and 41 turboprops.
A CRJ flight training device (FTD) is among 16 purchased by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University from Frasca International in a $9.8 million deal, paving the way for a new ab initio curriculum next year. The CRJ FTD will be used for advanced training at the Daytona Beach campus.
The other devices will simulate the Cessna 172 and Piper Seminole, and will reduce training time in the aircraft from 90% to 60%, with 40% being in the FTDs. Embry-Riddle says its integrated curriculum will "dramatically" reduce the time and cost of airline pilot qualification.
Source: Flight International
