SUSI AIR AND MECHTRONIX TEAM UP TO DEVELOP CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN SIMULATOR

Indonesian Charter Airline to Use Simulator to Support Fleet Expansion And Train at Home

AVALON, ON, March 2 /PRNewswire/ - Mechtronix Systems Inc., an MWC company, a world leading manufacturer of Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTD), today announced the production of an FFT X™ for the Cessna Grand Caravan to support fleet expansion of Indonesian carrier Susi Air. Known as the second largest operator of Cessna Caravan in the world with a fleet of 30+ aircraft, Susi Air will significantly improve their flight training capabilities by transferring courses from the actual aircraft to the simulator and reduce training costs by training their pilots at their base of operations. The brand new simulator will be installed at their flight training facilities in Pangandaran in the fourth quarter of 2011; it will be built in compliance with JAR-FSTD A FTD Level 2 and FNPT II MCC standards. Additionally, Susi Air Training Center will be equipped with an Ascent® Flight Trainer™ C172 Garmin 1000.

"We were keen on freeing the two aircraft dedicated to training and offering top-quality training equipment to our pilots, especially as it will be our first simulator; integrating this simulator in our flight training program has become a necessity to support our 30+ fleet of Grand Caravan," explained Susi Pudjiastuti, Susi Air founder and CEO. "Moreover, this will be the first simulator representing this type of aircraft in Asia-Pac; since our training center is open to others, we trust we will be able to address the Caravan training requirements in the region."

COO Christian von Strombeck added: "Mechtronix is the only simulator manufacturer to offer the FFT X™ concept and train@home business model which perfectly fit into our requirements. They carefully listened to us from sales to engineering all along the discussion process. We have many operational constraints such as a mountainous landscape, tropical weather and simple land strips and Mechtronix took those into account in the specification of the FSTD. With our new simulator, Susi Air's pilots will be able to practice all malfunctions and be better prepared for difficult landings which are frequent in the region for the above-mentioned reasons."

"The FFT X™ is one of the reasons why Mechtronix is today a world leader in the delivery of innovative flight simulation and airline operations solutions to the aviation industry; airlines willing to train at home that do not have the financial resources to invest in a FFS have welcomed this business model as it enables them to train in a high fidelity environment at reasonable costs," added Mechtronix Systems President Hervé. "This is the first FFT X™ to replicate the Cessna Grand Caravan, it will grow the list of aircraft families for which the FFT X is already available: Airbus 320, B737NG and ATR -500 & -600 series. Despite the economic downturn, the South East Asia Pacific region remains active and dynamic and we are delighted to add Indonesia as a country with Mechtronix simulators in operation."

The FFT X™ replicates the Cessna Grand Caravan 208 flight deck and shows FFS-like quality and fidelity, featuring a new generation 3-DOF seat-based motion cueing system, high-end sound simulation system and an FFS Instructor Operating Station tower. The highly-flexible device is equipped with a 3 channel 200x40° collimated cross cockpit viewing display system providing astounding FFS-like visual fidelity. The FFT X™ provides the ideal training environment for this class of aircraft both in terms of technology and affordability; the FFT X represents a smart alternative to high investment costs full motion simulators and is easy to deploy and operate.

About Susi Air
Founded in 2004 by Susi Pudjiastuti and Christian von Strombeck to service the local fishing communities of Western Indonesia and enable them to quickly supply lobsters and fresh fish to many markets in Asia, Susi Air rapidly became the largest operator of Cessna 208 Caravan in the Asia Pacific Region. Their current fleet includes 23 Cessna Caravan plus 17 more on order, 5 Pilatus PC-6 Porter, 3 Piaggio Avanti II and 2 Agusta helicopters. Susi Air offer scheduled flights and on demand charter for VIP guests, groups and cargo. Their international team of qualified pilots will take you to any of the 70 available airports in Sumatra, 40 in Java, or more than 650 destinations in all of Indonesia and also to neighboring countries.

About Mechtronix Systems Inc.
Mechtronix Systems Inc. (Mechtronix Systems), an MWC company, specializes in the design and manufacturing of Flight Simulation Training Devices for general, business and commercial aviation. Fuelled by 20+ years of passion and dedication, we are a top leader on the global flight simulation and training market with a presence in America, Europe and Asia. Based in Montreal, Mechtronix Systems offers a full range of products from full flight simulators to flight training devices, setting new industry standards for higher fidelity, reliability, cost efficiency and safety. To support our worldwide customers that include major airlines, training centers and training organizations, we have technical support centers strategically located around the globe. For more information, please visit www.mwc.mechtronix.com.

SOURCE MECHTRONIX SYSTEMS