Dakota Norway Trains on MPS DC-3 Sim

Dakota Norway, operator of Norway's only flying DC-3, has successfully trained on MPS's unique DC-3 simulator.

For three days the Norwegian pilots stayed at MPS in Groenekan, the Netherlands to sharpen their Dakota knowledge and skills. Besides cockpit re-familiarization and standard operating procedures, special attention was given to engine failures at various phases of flight.

Dakota Norway pilot and type rating instructor Gunnar Arnekliev commented: "This year we decided to train all of our pilots on this sim. The level of realism is very high, including the simulated failures that are available to the instructors. I am convinced that most DC-3 operators in Europe will be using this simulator in their training within the next few years. It will bring the safety of operating these vintage aircraft to a whole new level."

The MPS DC-3 simulator was built using a real 1944 Dakota cockpit and as many original aircraft parts as possible. These were combined with MPS state-of-the-art flight model computer simulation. The simulator was developed in close cooperation with the Dutch Dakota Association which also makes extensive use of the simulator for their flight training. After certification this simulator will be the first and only fixed-base DC-3 simulator in the world. The simulator was named after Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in recognition of his contribution to flying the Dakota.