The A400M has been a reliable guest in the air above Hackland for some time. The aircraft replaced the C130 transport aircraft last year, but needed infrastructure support to fully operate the fleet.
The BELUX National A400M Training Center (BNTC) for the education and training of aviation pilots from Belgium and Luxembourg is one of the important links for the deployment of ultra-modern aircraft. The BNTC was officially opened last Monday at the base of the 15th Division in Melsbroek, in the presence of Minister of Defense Ludwigine Tedonder, Chief of Defense Admiral Michael Hoffmann, a representative of the Luxembourg Minister of Defense and the Vice President Training and Aviation. Apps by Airbus Military.
There are only nine full flight simulators of the A400M (FFS) worldwide and the latest model is located at Melsbroek. This high-tech flight simulator is invaluable for pilot training and qualification on the A400M. The flight simulator is at the technical level, the flight times in FFS are equivalent to the real A400M.
According to instructor-pilot ‘Jose’ van Helmont, 90% of the A400M’s basic training, including emergency training, will now take place in a full flight simulator. FFS provides a realistic three-dimensional environment in which crews can train in a highly focused manner. This way they can practice in a few hours in many conditions such as different weather conditions or breakdowns. Additionally, they can practice in situations that are difficult or impossible to practice in real life, such as failed parachutes or automatic landing failures in poor visibility.
Also for Loadmasters and Technicians
Apart from pilots, loadmasters can also be trained at BNTC. Using an interactive virtual tool, loadmasters learn how to operate Loadmaster systems for load space management, drop sequences and emergency situations. Aircraft technicians also benefit from the simulator to perform maintenance tasks such as engine start-up procedures.
Bilateral cooperation
The A400M fleet consists of seven Belgian aircraft – the last of which will be delivered later this year – and one Luxembourg aircraft. At BNTC, personnel from both countries can train and qualify in a full flight simulator. This significantly increases crew availability and contributes to greater availability of aircraft for operational deployment.
After Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom, Belgium is now the fifth country in the A400M community to invest in its own training capability with a full flight simulator for the A400M.
