Helicopter Simulator with ASTi Telestra Receives Level D Qualification

ASTi is pleased to report that a first-of-its-kind H135 (EC135 T3H) full-flight simulator (FFS) using a Telestra sound system is now Level D-certified. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Norway qualified the FFS under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. The simulator is now available for training at the Norwegian Competence Centre Helicopter in Sola, Norway.

Manufactured by Reiser Simulation and Training GmbH, the FFS supports two configurations: the H135 (EC135 T3H) and the H145 (BK117 D2), certified and operational since 2018. To install both configurations on the same simulator, technicians merely exchange controls and instruments and select the appropriate software load. The host computer switches sound models on demand. Changing configurations only takes an hour, enabling the centre to efficiently leverage both helicopter types.

Helicopter simulators are particularly difficult to qualify for Level D, since aircraft engines, transmissions, and the main rotor all operate near the flight deck. The sound signatures of these individual components are critical to the audio environment. As a result, any deviation from the actual aircraft's sound may negatively impact training.

Telestra's flexible and powerful sound-modeling environment allows ASTi customers to field the most demanding Level D solutions, including Reiser's reconfigurable FFS. ASTi engineers remotely tuned the simulator by streaming its sound over the Internet, avoiding expensive on-site visits. Features like Level D spectral analysis, automatic speaker equalization and sound manipulation enable near real-time tuning. As a result, ASTi engineers can assist from anywhere in the world, despite recent travel restrictions.