Simulator developer Entrol has launched a new advanced aviation training device (AATD) based on the Bell 505 helicopter.
Called the H1000, the AATD has been on display in Atlanta, Georgia, this week at HAI Heli-Expo 2023. The training device replicates the flight controls and Garmin G1000 flight deck in Bell’s popular short light single, enabling training in normal, abnormal and emergency procedures.
The AATD also includes a compact instructor station and Entrol’s “3TV” immersive visual system. With various options available for customization, Entrol estimates the price of the system at around $250,000 to $400,000.
Entrol also plans to develop a version of the AATD for the Guimbal Cabri G2, the two-seat, piston-powered helicopter that is popular for ab initio flight training. The company expects that model to be ready by the end of this year.
“With the release of this new device, we want to increase the offer of high-quality helicopter AATD simulators in the North American market,” stated Entrol sales director Nacho Navacerrada in a press release. “We believe the H1000 will be an indispensable training tool for helicopter academies in the near future.”
In addition to launching the H1000, Entrol used Heli-Expo to announce a new maintenance center in Denver, Colorado, to support its North American customers. Established in collaboration with Sunny Communications, which provided part of the facilities and equipment required, the maintenance center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time Monday through Friday, supplementing the normal operating hours of Entrol’s headquarters in Madrid, Spain.
From the maintenance center, Entrol personnel will assist with troubleshooting and ship spare parts for customers in North American time zones. The facility will also serve as Entrol’s U.S. showroom, featuring Sunny Communications’ H11 Level 5 flight training device, based on the Airbus H135.
“With this new U.S.-based maintenance center we want to fulfill the needs of the American market with the efficiency expected from an U.S.-based corporation,” explained Entrol CEO and co-founder Luis Olarte. “We believe this is the next [logical] step to increase our presence in the American continent and continue the growth Entrol has been experiencing. Entrol is fully committed to maintaining a quality service after the sale of the equipment.”
