malabo,
Aero has a Flight Navigation Procedures Trainer in Port Harcourt which I believe is proving of great value in training for procedural instrument flying. I've seen the visuals on it and they are very clear. It is a generic helicopter, but nevertheless useful for instrument procedure training (which is, after all, what it says it is). The higher level of certification on a Class D simulator is because it has full motion and is type-specific. Most level D simulators have collimated visual displays and some are better than others at simulating a true visual experience. Because they often incorporate a fairly true representation of a particular airport or locale, they require large amounts of computing power.
PW and MP,
It's sometimes easy to overlook the fact that newer and/or larger helicopters are being introduced into Nigeria all the time. Aero introduced the AW139 2 years ago and is now operating 3 of them and it has just brought in 2 brand new EC225s which will soon be operating for TFE. Bristow/Pan African is operating 9 Bell 412 EPs for XOM and CNL which are less than 3 years old (I think) as well as a large number of Bell 407s for CNL. CNL is continuing its fleet modernisation here and now has 3 S76C++ on contract and will shortly have an S92, all operated by Bristow, with another S92 following about a year later if what cyclic forecasts happens. True, both Bristow and Aero have a few older helicopters, but they are being phased out. I hear that even the venerable SKY may soon be gone (but I'll believe it when it happens).
tistisnot,
You're quite right, it's amazing that in this day and age an operator in UK was (is?) not using simulators with the huge training benefit they have for so many aspects of flying. They're not perfect, but they are an excellent tool for procedural instrument training and checking, LOFT, CRM and the safe conduct of emergencies which cannot be replicated in the real aircraft. I think I'm right in saying that both Bristow and Aero now send all of their pilots for simulator training on the Bell 407, SA365, EC155, SK76, Bell 412, AW139, AS332 and S92. All S92 training will be done on the simulator. The new EC225 simulator will shortly be certified as well. This is one area where Nigeria is certainly not lagging behind Europe.
Last edited by soggyboxers; 20th Oct 2008 at 06:19.