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The "simulator" has you

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Josef Cole
  • 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TAJI AIR BASE, Iraq --  What is real? If it's what you can see, hear and feel, then the MI-171E helicopter simulator at Taji Air Base, Iraq, is real.

The simulator is designed to train MI-171E pilots, and should come with the warning: "Air sickness bags mandatory"

As the narrow view of the world through the cockpit glass slowly shifts and then stands on its head, Iraqi pilots, aircrew, and even passersby instinctively brace themselves for the motion that never comes. The sense of motion felt while flying in the simulator is as real as can be.

"The simulator itself is essentially a training tool that we use for the two MI-171E squadrons here, squadron 4 and squadron 15, at Taji Air Base, and it's mainly used for emergency procedures and simulated instrument meteorological conditions flight," explains Capt. Zach Pellonari, an MI-171E instructor pilot and air advisor from the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron. "[The Iraqis] have been very receptive to the simulator and are giving max effort."

Iraqi airmen not only learn to fly using the simulator, but also how to program scenarios and operate the simulator to create a sustainable training model. The scenarios include system failures and flight conditions that are rare and dangerous to induce in the actual aircraft. Two examples are dual hydraulic failure and low visibility created by dust, referred to as a brown-out.

"In the simulator, we're teaching them to land into dust and takeoff out of dust, and it's completely safe because they can crash," said Capt. Terry R. Martin Jr., also an instructor pilot and air advisor from the 721st AEAS. "There are a lot of emergency procedures that you can't do in the aircraft, so they can do it here in the simulator and practice and learn and be prepared if it actually happens while they're in flight."

In addition to expected benefits, 721st AEAS air advisors have also seen marked improvement in communication inside the aircraft, between air crew members. In Martin's own words, "before they didn't talk to each other, [now they do]."

Introduction of the simulator has been challenging. The logistics, including housing, cooling, and powering the simulator, have been difficult but surmounted through cooperation of Airmen, American and Iraqi alike. Maintenance is another challenge issued forth by the simulator.

"Right now, there's a contract for one year that started in June," says Martin. "We would like to see the Iraqis take over in the next month so that they can be self sustainable, self reliant, with the systems that they have here. We want them to update everything on their own, and this should last as long as the MI-171E is in their air force or their army air corp."

The arduous process of obtaining the simulator began four years ago with a letter of request and was completed at the end of July with final assembly and the start of training. The simulator was purchased from Trencin, Slovakia by the Iraqis themselves for a total of $4.8M, and will pave the way for many helicopter pilots in the future.

Martin summarizes, "[The simulator is] going to help their future capabilities. The simulator basically advances the capabilities of any air force, anybody that's flying the MI-171E."

Click here for a slideshow with more images.