Flightdeck Solutions Delivers Three Sims to WWFC

Flightdeck Solutions has successfully delivered and installed three high-level flight training devices at the newly inaugurated Aviation SIM Centre and Innovation Hub of the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) in Ontario, Canada. The June 2024 grand opening of this 3,300-square-foot facility marks a significant milestone in aviation training, aimed at equipping future pilots with the tools and knowledge they need to excel in their careers.

Flightdeck Solutions believes the newly installed FDS-A320-FTD, FDS-B737MAX-FTD, and newcomer FDS-Q400-FTD will enrich the school’s training programs, including a revamped Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) curriculum. Equally important, the devices will facilitate research initiatives for the school’s strategic partner, the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA).

“With the new flight training devices installed, what our aim is here is that (students) will be trained with the aircraft they will have when they walk into at an airline,” stated Tony Varga, chairman of the WWFC board. “This integration is expected to significantly shorten the ramp-up time for pilots transitioning to actual airline operations, thus addressing the current shortage of qualified pilots.”

The establishment of the Aviation SIM Centre and Innovation Hub was made possible through a collaborative investment. In October 2023, WWFC invested $1.8 million for building construction, while equipment and research were supported by a $9.2 million investment from the Canadian government through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

By training approximately 300 students per year, the WWFC aims to produce graduates with an undergraduate-level understanding of aviation equipment, thanks to the simulators provided by Flightdeck Solutions. “The simulators give a very close-to-realistic feel… they are tactically identical to an aircraft,” Varga explained.