Defense & Intelligence Policy, Business and Technology

The Army's new helicopter simulator trains aircrew for emergencies, saves big bucks

Army Times: At half the cost of a helicopter, the Army is rolling out immersive flight trainers that can simulate threats and emergencies.

The Black Hawk Air Crew Trainer, or BAT, trains pilots on the UH-60M and — unlike other simulators — is made out of actual Black Hawk helicopter parts, according to an April 20 release from the Army.

"This trainer utilizes a whole real front end of a helicopter, using actual components from the helicopter," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Travis Vanlengen, an Iowa National Guard flight instructor and civilian BAT operator by day. "In terms of going between the helicopter and the simulator, there's no difference in the functionality of it — the buttons [pilots] are pushing, the procedures they go through, are the same between the helicopter and the simulator."

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