Swiss rescue flight operator Rega has purchased an AXIS full-flight simulator (FFS) for their Bombardier Challenger 650 fleet. This is the first FFS for this aircraft type in Europe, the first AXIS FFS for a Bombardier type, and the first AXIS simulator with a Rockwell Collins visual system.

Twice a year Rega’s 27 jet pilots must complete legally mandated simulator training of various flight manoeuvres and emergency procedures in order to be ready for any eventuality. Heretofore, they were forced to travel to Montreal, Canada, as that was the location of the closest simulator for the three Bombardier Challenger 650 ambulance jets that Rega uses to bring patients from around the world back to Switzerland.

The new simulator is slated to go into operation in September of this year. At that point, Rega will save regular transatlantic travel costs, and its pilots will be available for repatriation flights sooner after completing their training sessions.

This Level D FFS will enable crews to practice realistic scenarios in a safe and controlled setting. It will be installed near Zurich Airport in Opfikon, where Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) will operate it on Rega’s behalf and offer unused capacity to other customers.

The new AXIS Level D full flight simulator has a HUD and EVS. It features a Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion 21 avionics system and Rockwell Collins EP8100 visual system, as well as an E2M motion system. This is the first time AXIS has installed a Rockwell Collins visual system in a training device. It is also the first AXIS FFS for a Bombardier aircraft. Finally, it is the first and so far only full flight simulator for the Bombardier CL650 anywhere in Europe.

“We operate three of these aircraft and each year fly around a thousand people back home to Switzerland in them, for a total of some 4800 annual flight hours,” said Rega Pilot and Nominated Person Crew Training Urs Baltisberger. “That makes Rega the world Fleet Leader in this aircraft type – nobody uses the Challenger 650 more intensively than we do. So it makes sense that we should also have our own simulator for the type. After careful research we came to the conclusion that AXIS is the best partner for us, because of their technical leadership and outstanding service, among other things.”