Rudradev Aviation to set Flight Training Academy

Chennai, Nov 9: The Rudradev Aviation Private Ltd, promoted by the city-based R R Industries, a leading IT concern, would set up a Flight Training Academy in a five-acre site near Chennai, jointly with the UK-based Type Rating Training Organisation (Thales group) to provide aviation training through cutting edge technology.

Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, Ravi Raman, CEO and Managing Director of the Rudradev Aviation said the total cost of the project was Rs 770 crore and it would be operational by June next year. The growing training needs of the booming aviation industry would be targetted in order to meet the training needs of the sector.

Mr Raman said the company is having a tie up with Thales, a world leader in aerospace, defence and security systems for the supply and maintenance of its simulators. The simulators, which mimic the aircraft (synthetic flight training device) were categorised into four different levels.

He said the academy will commence its full flight simulators by June next and it would commence operations on the Flight Management System Trainer (FMST) by April next. The FMST brings type specific flight characteristics to the class room, using software from full flight simulators to enable free-play exercises or structured training programmes devised by the software.

The academy will also commence operations on the Thales Flight System Trainer (TFST) by May next. The TFST is an accurate full-size type specific cockpit replication of aircraft controls and instrumentation to run scenarios and test procedures, prior to entering the full flight simulator, he added.

He also pointed out that they were in the process of going for a tie-up with major airlines to offer pilots, training in type specific aircrafts, namely A320, A330. We are also going for a tie-up with flying clubs and academies to give them an added advantage and to impart simulator training, in addition to their existing real time flying.

David Davenport, Sales and Marketing Director, Thales UK, who was here to sign the MoU with Rudradev Aviation Academy said they found lot of potentiality for civil aviation training in India.

Hence this relationship would be a win-win situation for both of them, Mr Davenport added.

UNI