Bell opens new Training Academy
Bell Helicopter's Customer Training Academy has begun classes at its newly opened facilities at Alliance Airport, Fort Worth, Texas.
The Customer Training Academy, widely regarded as the world's foremost civilian training school for helicopter pilots and maintenance personnel, has been in operation since 1947 when the company began instructing pilots to fly the Bell 47, and has trained over 90,000 students from more than 100 nations. Bell has also trained tens of thousands of military personnel over the years.
The new Bell school is equipped with 18 large modern classrooms and aircraft overhaul labs fitted for the newest learning technology tools including more than 41,000 square feet of hangar space for hands-on maintenance training.
Bell has built a newly designed helicopter training heliport a few minutes flying time from the Customer Training Academy.
The new practice area for flight training has been constructed on 100 acres just to the Northwest of the Texas Motor Speedway.
The practice area (PA) has three runways, a 2000-foot lighted North/South runway an 850-foot North/South runway and an 850ft East/West runway. There are four separate concrete landing pads.
The school has a staff of 65 people including instructors and administrative personnel, seven dedicated training helicopters as well as three sophisticated Cockpit Procedures Training Devices.
Students attend for anywhere from one day of refresher training to courses lasting several weeks. Currently there are 50 students attending for flight and maintenance training.