The Ivorian air force will now be training its pilots and aircrew at home with the acquisition of a new flight simulator.
Technical assistance company AFRICAT Group announced on 18 January that it had bought an ALX simulator from French firm ALSIM for the Côte d’Ivoire Air Force, at an undisclosed price.
The simulator which is the first of its kind in West Africa for military training at the time was commissioned on 10 December 2021. ALSIM noted that the Ivorian air force hopes to train its pilots and future pilots at home.
ALX is also approved for training commercial airline pilots ‘in compliance with all current regulatory standards’, ALSIM added.
ALX can be configured for up to four different aircraft classes (single-engine piston, twin-engine piston, twin turbine and medium-category jet). The simulator is designed and approved for ATPL (airline transport pilot license), CPL (commercial pilot license), and MCC (multi-crew cooperation) in compliance with current regulatory standards. As such ‘it meets all our strategic needs’, said AFRICAT CEO Alexandre Haloin.
Alexandre Haloin, Chief Executive Officer of AFRICAT Group, said: “We have chosen ALSIM as ALSIM is a major player in developing and manufacturing flight simulators. Besides, the ALSIM ALX simulator has multiple configurations (represents several, different types of aircraft) and it meets all our strategic needs.”
Anna Lezoray, ALSIM’s Sales Account Manager, commented: “We believe that the ALX with its flexibility, and reliability is the right tool to keep raising the quality of the training through efficiency and safety. We are extremely happy and proud to welcome AFRICAT and the Air Force of the Ivory Coast among our customers and would like to thank them for their confidence.”
Ivorian aircraft and helicopter fleet include four AS565 Panther helicopters, two Mil Mi-8 helicopters, one C295 transport aircraft on order since January 2019, two Mi-24 helicopters, AW139 and AS365N helicopters, An-26B, Beech 350, Airbus A319, Beech 1900D, Gulfstream III, IV and G550.