Electronic Knee Boards Integrated into German CPTs

• All four Cockpit Procedure Trainers CH-53 of HSG 64 in Laupheim and Holzdorf have been enhanced
• The enhancement by Telespazio Germany now allows the integration of real EKBs into the pilot training

Telespazio Germany GmbH has enhanced the Cockpit Procedure Trainers (CPTs) CH-53, which are in service at the Helicopter Squadron 64 (HSG 64) in Laupheim and Holzdorf, Germany, with the integration of Electronic Knee Boards (EKBs) into the simulation. This enhancement has been suggested and supported in advisory capacity by HSG 64 pilots from  Holzdorf. It prepares the pilots in a simulated environment for the use of EKBs in real flight operations. The EKBs can be used in the CPT in the same way as in the real aircraft. Thus, pilots gain competence in operating the provided apps in the CPT and can later use the EKB safely in flight.

Bundeswehr pilots have been equipped by German Armed Forces procurement authority BAAINBw with a personal EKB based on an iPad Mini, which replaces the classic knee board using paper documents. Important components of the EKB are the data supply and the provided apps. In the CPTs, flight parameters are provided by the simulation and sent to the EKBs via WLAN. Thus, from the pilot's point of view, the EKB behaves exactly as in a real flight environment.

"We are continuously developing and enhancing the systems. In the meantime, all three variants of the CH-53 helicopters of the German Armed Forces are covered," says Olaf Herper, Business Development Manager at Telespazio Germany GmbH. “As a future step, we plan to connect the CPTs of both training sites via wide area network.”

Telespazio Germany has, by order of Airbus Helicopters, developed the CH-53 CPTs for the German Armed Forces from 2009 onwards. They have been in use there for more than 10 years for pilot and flight engineer training. The CPTs are operated in cockpit replicas on touchscreen basis but are also available as a desktop version on conventional PCs or laptops.