Leonardo and Suzuyo & Co. Ltd. (Suzuyo) of Japan announced at the Paris Air Show on June 18 the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the purchase of an AW139 Level D full flight simulator (FFS) for the AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopter in the country. The simulator would be installed in a dedicated facility at Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport and operated by Suzuyo’s subsidiary Shizuoka Air Commuter Corporation (SACC).
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The setup of the first Level D FFS for AW139 helicopter in Japan would further strengthen and add one more diversified business in the partnership between Leonardo and Suzuyo. SACC has introduced into service various helicopters to support emergency medical services in Japan in the framework of the Doctor Heli system program, which is intended to provide modern airborne EMS coverage to all prefectures in Japan.
Earlier this year, SACC also established the first Service Centre in Japan ranked “Excellent” under Leonardo’s guidelines, that is focused on maintaining third-party fleets and having the largest scope of service capabilities for the successful AW109 light twin series and AW139 in Japan.
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With nearly 60 AW139s in service in Japan today performing a wide range of roles such as law enforcement, search-and-rescue over land and sea, firefighting and electronic newsgathering, the provision of pilot training services combining a FFS and other training tools and distance learning capabilities at SACC will further reinforce the level of service provided to existing and future operators of the most successful helicopter in its category. This initiative is in line with Leonardo’s Industrial Plan to deliver a greater range of services closer to its customers.
With a world network of over 15 different locations including Helicopter Training Academies and Authorized Service Centres, over 10,000 students trained and more than 41,000 helicopter simulator flight hours logged in 2018, Leonardo is extending its global support reach to maximize mission effectiveness and safety of operations.
