Chinedu Eze
Caverton Helicopters has achieved another milestone with the qualification by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as an official full flight simulator operator, using the Thales Level D, Reality H full-flight simulator product for the AW139 helicopter.
With this achievement, Caverton will fully embark on the training and retraining of pilots in the certified equipment.This was disclosed in a joint statement by Caverton Nigeria and Thales of France, stating that it is the first Reality H system operational in Africa, and operated by Caverton.
Developed in France, the AW139 Full Flight Simulator offers pilots an immersive experience with extremely faithful reproduction of their operational missions, to train in complete safety for a variety of complex situations (adverse weather conditions, helicopter failures and emergencies), that could occur in the real flight operations, the statement said.
“It offers pilots high-level training opportunities with the most comprehensive and versatile equipment available on the market.
“Having been approved by EASA, the Caverton Aviation Training Centre, located within the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria, is now able to commence commercial training operations for AW139 helicopter operators based in the African continent and beyond,” the companies said.
Caverton Helicopters said it was excited to have reached this significant milestone of the qualification of the company and the simulator.
“We selected the Thales Reality H product because of its state- of-the-art features and the fact that we could modify key aspects to suit our operating environment in Africa. With this new training centre now operational, Caverton will provide state-of-the-art training, including initial type rating, recurrent training and proficiency checks, for offshore and onshore missions as well as military and special operations. There could be no better time to experience this pioneering achievement for Caverton. This has opened the door to more flexibility in African aviation overall, and for us, it is a huge achievement,” Chairman of Caverton Offshore Support Group (COSG), Aderemi Makanjuola said.
“Reality H is ideally suited to the type of missions flown by helicopter pilots today and the special skills they need to develop. It offers high levels of performance and unparalleled realism and flexibility. Thales’s role is to help helicopter operators and pilots prepare for their missions, and with Reality H we’re proud to provide our customers with the solution that makes this possible.” Vice President for Thales’s Training & Simulation Business, Peter Hitchcock said.
Caverton Helicopters is a subsidiary of the Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, which is a fully, integrated offshore support company providing aviation and marine logistics services to businesses operating in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and across West Africa. Caverton is the largest indigenous aviation logistics support company in Nigeria, with over 18 years experience providing fixed wing and rotary wing services to the oil and gas industry.
The company currently operates a mixed fleet of 28 aircraft across multiple locations in Nigeria and West Africa. Since inception, Caverton has successfully operated for major international oil companies (IOCs) with a combined contract value of over $2 billion. Caverton’s capabilities also extends to the provision of third-party rotary and fixed wing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services at its facility in Lagos. The company is also Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Approved Training Organisation (ATO) and provides ground and flight training courses.
On the other hand, Thales is a global high technology leader investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations –connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technology – to build a future we can all trust, which is vital to the development of our societies. The company provides solutions, services and products that help its customers –businesses, organisations and states – in the defence, aeronautics, space, transportation and digital identity and security markets to fulfill their critical missions, by placing humans at the heart of the decision-making process.
