The Atlantic Airways Aviation Academy has officially opened its doors, with the Faroese company hoping its two cutting-edge full-flight simulators (FFS) — including a Thales AW139 level D device that can be paired with a mixed-reality hoist trainer — will draw operators from across Europe and beyond to the small Nordic country.
Atlantic Airways is the national carrier of the Faroe Islands, an archipelago of over 700 islands and rocky outcrops that lies about halfway between the U.K. and Iceland. In addition to connecting the Faroes to Denmark (which administers the self-governing country) and a host of other European nations with a fleet of Airbus A320neos, Atlantic also operates two search-and-rescue-equipped Leonardo AW139s.
“Here in the Faroe Islands, flying is more than a convenience — it’s a lifeline,” said Jóhanna á Bergi, CEO of Atlantic Airways, during the Aviation Academy’s grand opening ceremony April 3. “Our aircraft link our islands to the world, while our helicopters connect the outer islands and provide critical emergency services for search-and-rescue [SAR] and also for medical transport. And today, we’re taking an even greater step forward by placing the Faroe Islands on the global aviation training map.”
The academy sits in a brand-new custom-designed building a short walk from Vágar Airport, on the most western of the major islands that comprise the Faroes. The airport is home to the company’s fixed- and rotary-wing fleets.
The entry and communal spaces are light and open, with large panels of windows that allow light to pour in. The academy has three classrooms and four briefing rooms, with huge windows across the hallway from them allowing visitors to see the simulators in action. As well as the level D AW139 FFS, the academy is home to an Airbus A320neo simulator produce by SIM International.
Hans Erik Jakobsen is manager of helicopter operations and head of training at Atlantic Airways. A pilot for many years, he has flown in simulators produced by va range of manufacturers during that time.
“The goal was never to build a standard simulator,” he explained. “The goal was to build a simulator that corresponds to the demand for search-and-rescue in our surrounding neighboring countries — and that we have achieved.”
The operator ultimately chose Thales to create the AW139 device, which replicates the exact customization of Atlantic’s own SAR-equipped models, from searchlights and forward-looking infrared cameras, to mission systems such as the ability to program search patterns or fly automatic transitions.
It allows pilots and operators to train for complex offshore and onshore missions in adverse weather conditions, such as those experienced in the Faroes.
“What is so special with Thales is the suspension, or the motion system [at the base of the simulator],” said Jakobsen. “It is gliding up and down the slides [that form the simulator’s base], and it gives a totally completely quiet motion. You don’t hear the motion, you don’t hear any traction or cylinders or anything. It is just like a helicopter. It flows in the air. That’s what amazed me so much.”
Remi Du Peloux, COO of Thales Training & Simulation, told Vertical that it was a two-year project to design, build and certify the AW139 simulator for Atlantic.
“We are — in terms of technology, in terms of capacity, of function inside the simulator — very close to the reality — to the real helicopter,” he said. “It’s one of our major points, to be very close and to follow the needs from the different customers.”
Atlantic also liked the independence offered by a Thales simulator, which Jackobsen said allows the operator complete autonomy.
“We decide ourselves what we are doing, which clients we have, how we behave, [and] how much we take for it,” he said. “This means a lot for us, and was a major thing in our consideration.”
One of the major leaps forward with Atlantic’s setup is the ability to pair the FFS with the mixed reality hoist trainer, which is also provided by Thales. The hoist trainer recreates the side of the cabin with an open door and hoist outside.
The operator wears a headset that immerses them in the virtual world — but allows them to see their hands and operate a physical cable hoist with a hoist control grip. This allows for a simulated payload to be raised or lowered on the hoist as they would on the real aircraft.
The hoist operator’s view is synchronized with the movement of the FFS, allowing a seamless training experience between pilot and crew.
“The company thought it was a good idea [to add the mixed reality trainer], because what we are trying to attract are all the rescue operators around us, because they have nowhere to go to train as we can here,” said Jakobsen.
Up until now, Atlantic Airways’ staff of nine pilots had to travel to Doha, Qatar, to complete simulator training with Gulf Helicopters’ AW139 FFS.
Jakobsen said the idea of having a simulator available in-house — rather than travel around the world to one — had been in his mind for many years. He recalled eventually pitching it to Bergi shortly before the pandemic hit.
“I said, ‘Why not just establish a simulator center in the Faroes? We have the instructors, we have the helicopters, we have the airplanes, we have the AOC [air operator certificate] and we have the ATO [approved training organization],’ ” said Jakobsen. “ ‘[People] can come here to train with us as we go everywhere else to train. We have the ability.’ ”
She told him “the future belongs to those who think big” — and the idea was presented to the board, and a business case was built before the idea was sent for government approval (as the company is government-owned).
“We looked at how many [AW139] simulators there are, how many are coming onto the market, how many AW139s are produced each year and how large the fleet is,” said Jakobsen. “There is a good business case.”
In addition to providing initial, recurrent and renewal training for Atlantic Airways’ own cadre of nine pilots and eight hoist operators, the academy is open to third parties. Atlantic Airways’ own instructors can be used, or operators can provide their own.
“We are fortunate to have helicopters,” said Jakobsen. “We have an AOC, so we can provide both the simulator training and we can provide the aircraft part, which is required after the training.”
The academy’s two simulators are certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and Jakobsen said Atlantic would be pursuing U.K. Civil Aviation Authority approval.
“At least 50 percent of the inquiries that we get are from the U.K.,” said Jakobsen.
While the academy has only just officially opened, it has already had several customers come through to use the simulators.
“The reception has been extremely positive,” said Jakobsen. “Of course, we treat people nice — that is in our culture, we like people to feel welcome. But it’s not enough just to welcome people, you need to have the quality there. We have a combination of both.”
Bergi said the academy will help push Atlantic Airways to new heights.
“With our Aviation Academy, we are not just securing the future of the Faroese aviation, we are creating opportunities, setting new global standards and ensuring that generations of pilots and rescue crews will be trained to the highest level.”
