“We are proud, thanks to this new collaboration, to accompany Héli-Union in their most demanding missions and to exploit completely the tremendous capacities of the Dauphin N3 in higher safety and efficiency conditions”, said Philippe Crespo, Eurocopter Vice-President for worldwide Training services and Simulation. “This simulator for the Dauphin N3 is also in line with Eurocopter training policy to offer to the customers the most adapted solution.”

“Thanks to the successful cooperation with Eurocopter and Thales, the new simulator which we are inaugurating will help us keep our pilots’ qualifications up-to-date in order to meet our customers’ needs as well as that of the market in terms of safety" said Héli-Union Chairman & CEO Jean- Christophe Schmitt The new flight simulator is owned by Héli-Union Training Center. It has a double qualification: Full Flight Simulator (FFS) level B and Level 3 Flight Training Device. The objective is to progressively reach a 3000-hour yearly rate of training for Héli-Union and other civil and military customers “We particularly appreciate the renewed trust that Héli-Union has shown towards us and the collaborative work with Eurocopter on this new simulator”, said Jean-Jacques Guittard, Vice President Training & Simulation business at Thales. “Reality H, Thales’s state-of-the-art simulator, is based on the new generation of Thales products, designed to maximize training capacity and availability while offering greater ease of installation, operation and maintenance”. The simulator will allow operators to perform several types of training, ranging from ab initio and recurrent training to specific programs covering failure procedures, instrument flight rules (IFR), offshore and rescue operations, night flight (night vision goggles), flights over mountainous regions and low altitude navigation.

Since the aircraft was launched in 1975, more than 1000 helicopters from the Dauphin range have been sold in 70 countries. Some 300 customers operate the Dauphin today, including the U.S. Coast Guards, the French Navy, the Brazilian Army and many offshore operators. The aircraft’s fantastic reliability, multi-purpose capability and continuously improved state-of-the-art technology make it an automatic choice for a wide range of civil, parapublic and military missions, including oil & gas operations, search & rescue (SAR) assignments, anti-submarine warfare, as well as troop and VIP/corporate passenger transport.

Around the world, Eurocopter’s 21 training centers provide a complete range of services for civilian and military pilots, technicians and aeronautics experts. Courses offered include ab-initio and recurrent training, type rating and mission training via a variety of flexible training solutions, including web-based training, Computer Aided Instruction (CAI), Virtual Cockpit Procedure Trainers (VCPT), Avionics Trainers (AVT), Flight Training Devices (FTD) and Full Flight Simulators (FFS). As part of its commitment to improve overall fleet safety, Eurocopter is deploying FFS all over the world in close proximity to customers to enhance the quantity, quality and cost-effectiveness of the training solutions available to them. Eurocopter will reach 20 FFS by the end of 2012.

About Heli-Union

Heli-Union is a limited company fully-owned by the French group CNN (“Compagnie Nationale de Navigation”). Heli-Union has three core businesses with regards to helicopters:

• Operations: Commercial air transportation services in support of drilling programs, exploration and production campaigns undertaken by oil and gas companies.
• Industrial services : Maintenance, overhaul operations and modifications of helicopters, including Heli-Union's own fleet, logistical and technical support to other helicopter operators based in France and abroad.
• Helicopter pilot training: Various training courses are taught by qualified flight instructors to novice pilots as well as experienced helicopter pilots. Flight students can enjoy a FNPT II type simulator at Heli-Union Training Center, our flight school.

About Eurocopter

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 20,000 people. In 2011, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 5.4 billion Euros, orders for 457 new helicopters and a 43 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,300 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.

About THALES

Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transportation markets. In 2011, the company generated revenues of €13 billion with 67,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners.