Equipment training RAF pilots to hunt submarines arrives inside a Russian jet
THE FIRST flight training simulator for new submarinehunting jets has been delivered to RAF Lossiemouth.
A Poseidon cockpit replica was driven 200 miles from Prestwick Airport to the Moray site after being flown in from Florida.
It will be one of two simulators installed in a £100m facility at Lossiemouth which will also hold other training devices as well as three of the RAF’s nine Poseidon aircraft.
The first of the “gamechanging” fleet was delivered to the RAF last October, with the operational flight trainer equipment able to simulate complex training scenarios and reduce the cost of carrying out live, in-flight procedures. Mark Corden, project manager for training in the Poseidon delivery team, said: “The OFT simulators provide training specifically for the pilots who will be flying the Poseidon aircraft. They also have the compatibility to link up with the mission simulators used by the rear crew, allowing them to train together.
“It’s an essential part of making sure the pilots are fully prepared to operate the new fleet of aircraft.”
The OFT was brought to Britain by an huge Russian Antonov AN-124 aircraft. Mr Corden added: “The weight of the simulator is not such an issue. It’s the width and height, which make it too big to be transported by any RAF aircraft, such as a C-130J, A400M or C-17. The Antonov is one of only a few aircraft in the world large enough to transport it.”