Nothing virtual about the success of the Reality H® helicopter full-flight simulator!

Thales teams designed Reality H® to meet the needs of helicopter operators, maximizing training capacity and availability while offering straightforward ease of installation, operation and maintenance. The dynamic pod enables essential pilot training exercises to be conducted in a realistic, immersive virtual environment, offering several key benefits for operators: reduced expense in comparison with actual flight hours, and the ability to simulate safety-critical situations such as engine failure or fire, and extreme weather conditions.

A number of technological innovations and operational assets combine to give Reality H® a competitive edge. These include the use of a unique full-electric motion system that ensures smooth and realistic physical movement, intuitive  touchscreen instructor interfaces, 4K high-definition wide field-of-view imaging that replicates our customers’ training environment, high-fidelity simulation models and flight instruments, and the ability to generate a wide range of operational scenarios that include high-risk crisis situations. Importantly, Reality H® has been Level D certified by all the relevant international authorities (EASA, CAAC, CASA, NCAA), validating the technology for use in the most demanding operational environments. The full electric motion system is based on the Hexaline ® concept developed in close conjunction with partner startups.

Over the past twelve months alone, Thales teams working at the facility in Osny, near Paris, have produced four new Reality H ® simulators. One is set to be part of a collective connected H225M multiple simulator setup for the Kuwaiti forces. Another has been installed at the Helisim SA helicopter pilot training centre in Marignane, southern France, and has been configured to the designs of the new Airbus Helicopters H160; the full-flight simulator and the helicopter itself will be available on the market at the same time!

The third unit will shortly be installed within the brand new Helisim LLC training centre that has been built in Grand Prairie, Texas. This will be the first H145-configured full-flight simulator to be installed in the US (and the first Reality H® to pass the FAA certification), in response to strong demand from US-based pilots who hitherto had to travel to Europe for their training programmes. The fourth will be used by Nigerian helicopter operators Caverton in the new training centre currently being set up, and which will welcome pilots from the whole of Africa. This AW139-configured Reality H will be the first Level D helicopter full-flight simulator to be installed in Africa!

According to Thales Helicopter Product Line Manager, Joël Flinois, “The future is bright for the Reality H® full-flight simulator. Aligned as it is with the mission-oriented and skills development needs of helicopter pilots, as well as with the operational requirements of operators, Reality H® is delivering high-level performance and unparalleled levels of realism and flexibility. It’s all about providing mission-readiness to helicopter pilots and operators, and at Thales we’re proud to be delivering our Customers the solutions to make this possible on a daily basis thanks to Reality H®.”

See also: Thales flight simulator for new H160 simulator ready for take-off; Factory Acceptance of the Caverton Thales Reality H simulator, the first Level D helicopter full-flight simulator to be installed in Africa