Nordholz: World's most modern helicopter simulator handed over

A dream birthday present

"I had a dream," said Captain Broder Nielsen, Commander of the Naval Aviation Command in Nordholz, at the ceremonial handover of the simulator for the NTH Sea Lion from CAE to the German Navy on 14 December. The creation of the world's most modern simulator for helicopters turned out differently than he had dreamed, but was nevertheless a day of great joy. "We have put up with three decades of deficits," he said, and now this result is "top notch". The state-of-the-art flight simulator centre is also attractive for young people who want to choose the navy and aviation. Relieved because this would help him to fulfil his mission, he said "I bear the responsibility" with a serious face.

CAE-SeaLion simulator in Nordholz. Photo: Bw/J.Kelm

It was also a special day for the Commodore of MFG 5, Carsten Holtgreve, who celebrated the simulator on his birthday as the best present he had received in years. A unique feature is that the cockpit and the airframe ("OFT and OTT") are built separately. The pilots, the operations officer and the airframe crew have their own simulators and can train separately. From flying and winching to the use of weapons, everything the Sea Lion can do can be trained. The highlight: everything can be synchronised. This means that the entire tactical operational framework can be practised here. The exercises in the simulator can be credited to 100% for flight operations, which in practice saves 10% in flight hours for the real aircraft, regardless of the weather. The building is a complete package built by Forma CAE outside the grounds of the Naval Air Command in the industrial estate of the municipality of Nordholz. The reason for this can be found in the cumbersome, federally determined infrastructure planning, which makes it difficult for the Bundeswehr. Not everything that doesn't work for the federal government is also the fault of the federal government. For at least 20 years, the federal government will therefore rent the building from CAE, which is responsible for the operation and security with around 10 people, while the equipment belongs to the training operation in the rented building of the German Navy. CAE Inc. is one of the world's largest and leading providers of professional flight simulator technologies. The Canadian company is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Videos: Bundeswehr/ Julia Kelm