The Patiala Flying Club will soon acquire a simulator for its Cessna 172 aircraft to impart instrument training to students. The simulator has been purchased as part of a project of the Centre to provide training technology at flying schools. The Aero Club of India had earlier signed a deal with Mechtronix Systems Inc, Canada, to purchase two flight simulators. One of these simulators will be given to the Delhi Flying School, and the other to Patiala.

The simulator is likely to reach the Patiala Flying Club next month. Flight simulators are extensively used by the aviation industry for design and development, for training of pilots and other flight deck crew in both civil and military aircraft.

The simulator, a state-of-the-art equipment, is a copy of the Cessna 172 cockpit. Talking to FE, civil aviation department advisor Abhay Chandra said through the simulator, ground-level training can be given to students. “The entire functions in an aircraft during flying are simulated through this instrument. Students can plan the route, destination, departure, how to manage in bad weather conditions, dealing with an emergency situation like fire in the aircraft, etc,” he said.

The simulator is considered a very useful instrument, as it considerably cuts down the training costs, while equipping flying students with essential skills. At the courses conducted in leading flying clubs and aviation schools, training is given to students in planes and also through simulators that create flying conditions on ground.

Civil aviation chief engineer, Punjab, KD Singh and Capt GS Mangat, chief flying instructor at the Patiala Flying Club, had recently gone to Canada for a week’s training in how to operate a simulator.

The simulator has been purchased at a cost of approximately Rs 1.25 crore each. Punjab has two operational flying clubs, one at Amritsar and the other at Patiala. The state owns two Cessna 172 aircraft. The training charges for per hour flying on Cessna are approximately Rs 6,000 per hour. It is estimated that students will have to pay additional charges for use of the simulator. These charges have not been fixed yet.

Abhay Chandra added that the flying club at Ludhiana may get operational soon. The club has two Cessna 172 aircraft.