Integrated System for Pilot Training

Henry Cleveland, Executive Director of ENAER, sat down with MON at LAAD 2023 to talk about the Pillán II project and the different products and services that the company is showing at LAAD 2023, which marks the company’s return to the fair as part of its strategy of regaining its position in the international market.

In addition to the Pillán II airframe itself, Cleveland highlighted the peripherals that are part of the integrated system making up the trainer, noting they are also looking at companies to evaluate cooperation agreements in manufacturing and MRO. “We have already had several meetings with different companies and we are reaching some agreements, not only for the Pillán II,” he explained, adding that the idea is to manufacture structures again, and work on aircraft modernisation programs, such as the C-130.

This is the first time the company has shown the Pillán II at LAAD, and Cleveland emphasised the preliminary design phase has already begun. “We are already promoting the project internationally so that potential customers get to know the system. We have also visited some countries, not only on the fair, but we have gone directly to the countries to promote this new system and create an awareness and knowledge of the Pillán II. This takes time for those operators who have some need to internalise them and then it will be much easier once we have the product flying to demonstrate.”

DTS, an ENAER subsidiary, also showed some of the peripheral equipment and systems it has developed for the aircraft -such as the mission planner, the command and control system, and the electronic support measures MAE console developed for the Chilean Navy, which also has other applications.

Among the developments, the virtual reality training system stands out, offering trainees wearing the equipment to be able to work on an engine or component virtually. “They can assemble, disassemble, remove parts, open electronic boxes, see what is inside, all virtual, so that it is much cheaper, there is no risk of damaging any equipment and also they can do it as many times as they want. And a lot of people at the same time, they don’t need the actual hardware,” Cleveland explained. This reduces both cost and instruction times.

ENAER’s presence at LAAD is part of an ongoing strategy that will see the company at a number of international events, such as Famex in Mexico later this month, F-Air Colombia in July and – perhaps – Le Bourget. “We have a program of fairs to be able to make ourselves known internationally more aggressively,” Cleveland said. He stressed there is great interest in the market. “We have approached some customers or potential customers, especially in the region, both in Central and South America. They have come to reinforce a little the ideas we have and the products we have; this has not been the first contact, but it has been a reinforcement and [helps us] to be able to deliver our services more directly and closely“.

Santiago Rivas reporting from LAAD 2023 for MON