05/31/2006
 

Level D qualification for AVIOR

Lufthansa Flight Training and RDE agree upon cooperation on flight simulator training

Lufthansa Flight Training GmbH (LFT) has signed a cooperation agreement with Rheinmetall Defence Electronics in order to achieve level D qualification under JAR-STD 1A for the AVIOR laser projection system before the end of this year.

Lufthansa Flight Training has over 50 years of experience in the training of cockpit and cabin crews, and is one of the leading training providers in the market.

Under the cooperation agreement, Rheinmetall Defence Electronics is going to upgrade an Airbus A-340 full flight simulator for LFT according to the specifications of the AVIOR laser projection system in order to have it licensed by Germany's Federal Administration of Civil Aviation (LBA).

This step would make the AVIOR laser system only the second projection system in the world, after the raster-calligraphic CRT, to be licensed for high-quality level D simulators. Laser technology gives the AVIOR system major advantages over CRT systems in terms of resolution (HDTV), contrast, brightness, depth of focus and colour space, while also ensuring maximum fault tolerance and availability. Laser projection requires virtually no mechanical components, which eliminates the job of replacing and regularly adjusting tubes, as is required with the raster-calligraphic CRT. This means that the life cycle costs (LCC) are considerably lower than those of the CRT. Furthermore, the unlimited depth of focus makes adjusting the system far easier and removes the need for focussing by means of lenses.

The excellent black level that is characteristic of laser light enables night approaches of outstanding quality. At the same time, projection of the light points, which is important for civil flight simulation, is at least on a par with CRT projection.

The compactness and light weight of the projection head (20 kg – 30 kg) permit a completely new approach to the design of future simulators because the laser system is up to ten times lighter than raster-calligraphic CRTs (200 kg – 250 kg).

Lufthansa Flight Training GmbH and Rheinmetall Defence Electronics are thus breaking new ground with regard to important key technologies in the field of flight simulation, thereby demonstrating once again their innovative strength. So it may not be long before pilots flying for Lufthansa and other airlines have the opportunity to test the world's first full flight simulator based on laser light.

In the military sector, laser projection from Rheinmetall Defence Electronics has been in use since 2003. Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, a subsidiary of the Rheinmetall Group, was the first to deliver the AVIOR system to the German Air Force for the Tornado full mission simulator stationed in Holloman, New Mexico/USA. Two more systems – also for the German Air Force – are currently planned. Also the Indian Navy is using the AVIOR laser projection system to equip its new MiG-29K simulator, which is due to be delivered in the coming year.