The race to keep pace with booming deliveries of business jets is accelerating, with rivals FlightSafety International and SimuFlite Training International planning to field a variety of new and upgraded simulators this year.
SimuFlite has kicked off the year by placing its first Cessna Citation Ultra simulator into service at its Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, training centre. The CAE-built Level D machine will be upgraded in the second quarter to also simulate the Citation Bravo.
SimuFlight also plans to complete the upgrade of its 14 Level C simulators this year. Six machines have been fitted with new CAE MaxVue Plus daylight visual systems so far.
FlightSafety, meanwhile, has fielded the first simulator for the new Citation CJ1 at its Cessna training centre in Wichita, Kansas. This will be joined soon by the first simulator for the stretched CJ2.
Meanwhile, expansion of Flight-Safety's Atlanta, Georgia, training centre continues with the introduction of Bombardier Learjet 60 and Citation II simulators alongside a Learjet 45 machine already in service. A Learjet 31/31A simulator will be added in the third quarter.
FlightSafety's second Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 simulator has entered service at the company's Seattle, Washington, training centre.Source: Flight International
