Eurocopter on Tuesday officially inaugurated its new North Sea Service Center in Aberdeen, Scotland. The facility will be provide training, technical support and logistics facility in close proximity to helicopter operators who support the region’s oil and gas industry, according to the company.
The facility includes a new EC225 helicopter full-flight simulator, which features a full-motion system with six degrees of freedom, an instructor station, simulation of all systems and optional equipment solutions, avionics systems and full replica of the EC225 cockpit, sound and vibration, system and a visual system field of view of 210° horizontal and 80° vertical. The company said there is sufficient space is available to add another simulator at a later date, potentially for Eurocopter’s new EC175 helicopter.
Also Tuesday, the company signed a long-term training agreement with CHC Helicopter, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, for at least 800 hours of annual EC225 simulator utilisation.
Currently, 100 Eurocopter helicopters are operated in the North Sea, generating more than 100,000 flight hours a year. A total of 45 are based at Aberdeen, another 11 are located at other U.K. bases, along with 31 across Norway. There are a further eight in the Netherlands, and five in Denmark.