Latest news with #pilottraining
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Turkish Airlines expands simulator orders with HAVELSAN
Dubai: In line with its ongoing efforts to further strengthen its pilot training infrastructure, Turkish Airlines has placed an additional order for one Boeing 737 MAX Full Flight Simulator (FFS) from HAVELSAN to be delivered in January 2026. This new order, placed as part of the long-standing cooperation with HAVELSAN, demonstrates the national flag carrier's commitment to expanding its simulator fleet and enhancing its technological capabilities. This additional order stands as a concrete testament to Turkish Airlines' confidence in HAVELSAN and in domestically developed advanced technologies. Commenting on the new order, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof Ahmet Bolat, stated: ' This additional order reinforces our strategic collaboration with HAVELSAN, reflecting our ongoing commitment to providing world-class pilot training. By expanding our simulators with advanced and reliable technology, we ensure our pilots continue to deliver the exceptional safety and service standards that Turkish Airlines is renowned for.' HAVELSAN CEO Dr Mehmet Akif Nacar added: 'We are pleased to strengthen our partnership once again with Turkish Airlines through a new agreement for a third B737 MAX Full Flight Simulator. This continued trust from one of the world's leading airlines is a strong affirmation of our capabilities and commitment to excellence.' Under the agreement signed with HAVELSAN in 2018, Turkish Airlines originally planned to procure a total of eleven training devices consisting of three A320neo/ceo, two B737 MAX Full Flight Simulators (FFS) and six Flight Training Devices (FTD). As of today, Turkish Airlines successfully operates two B737 MAX, two A320neo/ceo simulators and one B737NG, which is the first procured simulator, produced by HAVELSAN, all certified to EASA Level D standards. In addition, the delivery of the last A320neo/ceo simulator as part of the previous agreement is scheduled in November 2025. The new order of B737 MAX FFS will be the seventh Full Flight Simulator in airline's fleet. Turkish Airlines remains committed to providing its pilots with top-level training opportunities through an advanced simulation infrastructure fully compliant with international civil aviation standards. Turkish Airlines, Inc. Media Relations About Turkish Airlines: Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 485 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 353 worldwide destinations as 300 international and 53 domestics in 131 countries. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website or its social media accounts on Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram. About Star Alliance: Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers 17,837 daily flights to over 1,160 airports in 192 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partner Juneyao Airlines. Star Alliance Press Office: Tel: +65 8729 6691 Email: mediarelations@ Visit our website or connect with us on social media: About HAVELSAN HAVELSAN offers new generation of technologies from end to end with 42 years of experience in the field of defense, simulation, ICT, homeland security and cyber security.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
China adds aerial refuelling to pilot training in move to boost combat readiness
China's air force has introduced aerial refuelling to its pilot training programme as the People's Liberation Army tries to step up combat readiness and long-range capabilities. Advertisement The move was highlighted in a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that included footage from a PLA training video. It showed instructors from the PLA Air Force's Shijiazhuang Flight Academy piloting two J-10 fighter jets in a refuelling drill, supported by a YU-20 tanker. The J-10 – seen as China's answer to the American F-16 – has a two-seat variant for advanced fighter and strike training. Another variant, the J-10CE, was used by Pakistan to down French-made Rafale jets in combat with India's military near the disputed Kashmir region last month. The YU-20 tanker can offload up to 100 tonnes of fuel in a single sortie. Photo: Xinhua According to the CCTV report, the academy plans to expand the refuelling training in phases. It said the goal was to round out combat readiness training and better prepare pilots for operational requirements and the demands of the battlefield. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was a significant step for the air force as it tried to cultivate real-combat capabilities from the earliest stage in a pilot's training. 'Previously, such training was limited to experienced operational units,' Song said. 'Now it's moving upstream into pilot education. That opens a new path for building a strategic air force with global reach.' Advertisement He said the programme would help pilots to develop 'a long-range operational mindset early in their careers'. 'It will reduce the interval between graduation and combat readiness, significantly boosting the military's ability to rapidly produce a battle-ready talent pool.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Military Matters: A Birdseye View of Altus AFB
ALTUS (KFDX/KJTL) — From an outsider's perspective, one might expect to see smaller planes like fighter jets at an air force base. That's not always the case. Altus Air Force Base is a bit different, housing planes that are slightly larger than fighter jets. One of which is the C-17, piloted by Lt. Col. J.D. Shaw. 'Altus's mission is to train pilots and loadmasters how to operate this airplane so they can go out to their base, whether it be Charleston, McChord, Dover, McGuire and then employ this airplane around the world,' Shaw said. Altus Air Force Base specializes in air mobility. All three planes they train, the KC-135, KC-46, and C-17, accomplish this through their unique missions. The C-17 is most specialized toward cargo delivery, according to Loadmaster trainer, Sr. Master Sgt. Kris Mack. 'We're more concerned with the cargo compartment as far as loading cargo, and you have to be prepared,' Mack said. 'It could be a tank in there, it could be a palette, it could be something quite easy. It could be humanitarian aid. It could be, you know, things that take a little bit more concentration as far as the restraint.' Another aspect of air mobility is ensuring that planes can travel from point A to point B, regardless of the distance. Lt. Col. Broderick Lockett trains crews to refuel planes in midair with the KC-135. 'You know, think you're going 400 miles an hour down the highway and actually reaching out with another car and holding on to each other, and you know, shaking hands,' Lockett said. 'That's what we do. Except at 26,000 feet, you know, going up to 600 miles an hour.' Not all air refueling looks or works the same. Altus Air Force Base also has one of the more advanced aircraft designed for mid-air refueling, the KC-46 Pegasus, which can both give and receive fuel. A unique trait that Lt. Col. Scott Heinlein believes makes it a vital tool in any situation the aircraft is in. 'Instead of having to fly all the way back to our base, get gas again, we can find another tanker that has already taken off from that base, take that fuel in the air so that it extends that range even closer,' Heinlein said. 'So, the net result is we get our receivers closer to the fight, making them more effective in combat.' At the center of it all, for the base, though, is the relationship it has with the city of Altus. Lt. Col. Shaw says he's been more involved with the surrounding community at Altus than at any other base he's ever been to. 'The city is super welcoming,' Shaw said. 'I think they recognize the value that Altus brings to the city. And so, it is a true relationship that one could not survive without the other.' Both city and base, dedicated to the same mission for over 80 years. Keeping America's Air Force mobile and strong. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Japan Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Japan revises aviation law after 2024 Haneda collision
Parliament passed a bill on Friday to revise the civil aviation law to make communication skills training mandatory for all pilots operating at busy airports, including private and Japan Coast Guard aircraft. The revision, which will enter into force within three years, was drafted in response to a fatal accident in January last year in which Japan Airlines and coast guard aircraft collided and caught fire on a runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The bill passed the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the Diet, at a plenary meeting Friday after clearing the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, earlier in May. The training in question, called crew resource management, is conducted to improve skills for communication between the captain and the copilot and between the cockpit crew and air traffic controllers to prevent human errors such as runway incursions. The coast guard conducts similar drills independently, but the revised law will make the practice mandatory. The law also stipulates the establishment of a runway safety team at each of the country's eight major airports, including Haneda, in which air traffic controllers and airline officials discuss measures against incursions. In an interim report on the accident released late last year, the Japan Transport Safety Board said that both the captain and the copilot of the coast guard aircraft thought that they had received permission to enter the runway. Suspecting a problem with mutual confirmation procedures, the coast guard has revised its manual to ensure that pilots fully repeat instructions from controllers to confirm them between themselves.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
ASU Polytechnic program helping to train new air traffic controllers
The Brief The U.S. is facing a severe shortage of air traffic controllers. A program at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus is helping to train those who are interested in the field. The facility used by the program simulates a Phoenix Skyt Harbor Airport terminal. PHOENIX - With the United States facing a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, students headed to college might want to look into the aviation field. For students interested in studying air traffic management and aviation, Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus in Mesa has them covered, with a state-of-the-art facility simulating Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport's Terminal 4. What One Student Said "You get such a newfound appreciation for it, but it's even just helped my pilot career in knowing what to expect, or even just visualizing other things. It's truly been incredible and a really fun experience, too, to get both sides of it. Like OK, here's the pilot realm. Here's what I'm experiencing," said Anna Ruffley. Dig deeper Roffley is studying to be a pilot, but she said she is grateful for the program and technology offered by ASU Polytechnic that will prepare her for any situation. Inside the simulator building, students learn every detail of air traffic control procedures and operations. "The blue screen is called the AZDE-X Airport Surface Detection Equipment, and that kind of helps controllers keep track of airplanes on the ground, on the taxiways, on the runways. Another tool that they can use to help separate airplanes," said John Delugt with ASU Polytechnic. The 80-to-100-student program helps students gain not only a strong background in aircraft operations, but various skills and and business principes needed to work under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The program will be receiving new additions to their technology this summer, in hopes that new Sun Devil additions will become employed to work for the busy skies soon.
