Indra has a long history in the field of simulation, and in the aerospace sector in general: the company has delivered more than 150 simulators to 15 countries, and is the only European firm that supplies simulators to the U.S. Navy. Its simulations range from commercial jets to military aircraft, to 360-degree air traffic control centers, among other mockups. In addition, the company's air traffic management systems are employed at airport and control centers in more than 90 countries, and facilitate the flow of millions of passengers each day.

In the past, simulators were primarily used for fixed-wing aircraft and for the larger, heavier (thus more expensive) sorts of helicopters. But as the cost of simulation technology has decreased relative to the price of helicopters, and as the world has grown increasingly concerned about the proportionally higher accident rates for helicopters, there's been an international demand for improving helicopter training tools, including simulators.

For helicopter flight training, simulation technology demands significantly richer visual data than jet simulations, because helicopters fly closer to the ground. "For example, you not only show buildings, but you can show a shooter within a building. You might display different moving cars, trucks, and other aircraft. The detail is much higher than is needed than for a simulator for a commercial jetliner", points out Felip. The resulting visual display must also incorporate information from nonvisual sensors, including the atmosphere and the humidity, to avoid so-called negative training, where pilots make mistakes because they practiced flights with incorrect or incomplete data.

Working with Eurocopter, Indra recently signed an agreement to deliver the first full-flight helicopter simulator to China. The helicopter fleet in China is growing, says Felip, and he expects that China will offer important business opportunities. In general, Felip sees the role of helicopter simulators growing everywhere: "The safety authorities, such as the FAA in the U.S. or the EASA [European Aviation Safety Administration], are pressing for more simulations for helicopters, and regulators are asking for a higher level of training."

Eurocopter helicopter

Extract from an article published in the magazine Technology Review
www.technologyreview.com/spain/aero

Indra has a long history in the field of simulation, and in the aerospace sector in general: the company has delivered more than 150 simulators to 15 countries, and is the only European firm that supplies simulators to the U.S. Navy. Its simulations range from commercial jets to military aircraft, to 360-degree air traffic control centers, among other mockups. In addition, the company's air traffic management systems are employed at airport and control centers in more than 90 countries, and facilitate the flow of millions of passengers each day.

In the past, simulators were primarily used for fixed-wing aircraft and for the larger, heavier (thus more expensive) sorts of helicopters. But as the cost of simulation technology has decreased relative to the price of helicopters, and as the world has grown increasingly concerned about the proportionally higher accident rates for helicopters, there's been an international demand for improving helicopter training tools, including simulators.

For helicopter flight training, simulation technology demands significantly richer visual data than jet simulations, because helicopters fly closer to the ground. "For example, you not only show buildings, but you can show a shooter within a building. You might display different moving cars, trucks, and other aircraft. The detail is much higher than is needed than for a simulator for a commercial jetliner", points out Felip. The resulting visual display must also incorporate information from nonvisual sensors, including the atmosphere and the humidity, to avoid so-called negative training, where pilots make mistakes because they practiced flights with incorrect or incomplete data.

Working with Eurocopter, Indra recently signed an agreement to deliver the first full-flight helicopter simulator to China. The helicopter fleet in China is growing, says Felip, and he expects that China will offer important business opportunities. In general, Felip sees the role of helicopter simulators growing everywhere: "The safety authorities, such as the FAA in the U.S. or the EASA [European Aviation Safety Administration], are pressing for more simulations for helicopters, and regulators are asking for a higher level of training."

Eurocopter helicopter

Extract from an article published in the magazine Technology Review
www.technologyreview.com/spain/aero