Boeing has signed a teaming agreement with the Rotary Wing Training Center (RWTC) – a subsidiary of the Netherland’s World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA) – to establish a state-of-the-art CH-47 Chinook helicopter maintenance training facility near the Dutch Gilze-Rijen Airbase. The training center will help address the needs of international Chinook operators.
"Our cooperation with the WCAA and the RWTC reflects Boeing’s commitment to international Chinook customers and re-emphasises our dedication to provide quality training at an affordable price," said Barbara Wilson, Boeing director of Army, Navy and Marine Corps training. "This facility will allow international Chinook mechanics and technicians the opportunity to train closer to home."
The training – set to begin in the first quarter of 2012 – will include current technical information and courseware tailored for CH-47 mechanics, technicians, pilots and crewmembers. The program will cover theory, troubleshooting and fault isolation, as well as maintenance and servicing. Students will receive practical training on a retired Chinook airframe, providing a more realistic learning experience.
"By partnering like this, we will establish a capability that addresses our customers’ growing need to have enough certified technicians available to keep their aircraft operationally safe and ready," said Peter Huis in’t Veld, director of the WCAA.
In November 2009, Boeing and the WCAA teamed to provide both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft maintenance training and pledged to work together to develop courses that meet the educational needs of the Netherlands aviation industry. The RWTC is the first facility and training program to result from that earlier agreement.
"As the original equipment manufacturer of the Chinook, Boeing has the technical specifications and engineering data for one of the most advanced rotorcraft platforms in the world," added Wilson. "This in-depth knowledge gives Boeing unique insight into how the aircraft systems work together, allowing the company to team with the WCAA to develop the most reliable and cost-effective training solutions available."
The training center will be located at Gate2, a Midpoint Brabant-established platform for innovation and development in the aviation maintenance sector. The activities at Gate2 as well as the WCAA and Boeing collaboration advance the "World Class Maintenance" initiative supported by the Dutch government to bolster the Netherlands’ position as a regional hub for maintenance activities and related training activities to grow the volume of maintenance work in the Netherlands.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defence, space and security businesses specialising in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32bn business with 64,000 employees worldwide.
