FlightSafety: economic and safety driver
The fuselage of a plane is submerged in water, an inflated yellow raft bobbing nearby. However, rather than another nightmare scenario playing out on the Hudson River, this is a safety scene, happening in Teterboro, New Jersey.
At the FlightSafety Teterboro Learning Center, pilots and flight attendants practice emergency protocol in a specially built pool. Danny Robayo, Manager FlightSafety Teterboro Learning Center, explains, “The crew emergency area includes a pool for sea survival training, a full scale dunker, and a hoist used to simulate being rescued from water by a helicopter. It also features a full-scale aircraft cabin trainer equipped with a visual system for emergency and cabin service courses.”
The FlightSafety Teterboro Learning Center opened in 1975 and is part of FlightSafety International, a Berkshire Hathaway company. Robayo describes the training that’s available “FlightSafety International is the world’s premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides more than 1.4 million hours of training each year to aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories,” he says.
At the recently renovated Teterboro location, students have access to five full flight simulators, built by FlightSafety, as well as other advanced technology training devices and facilities. Robayo says the facility offers “more than 3,500 courses for 135 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft using a fleet of over 320 flight simulators. Our team of 1,800 highly qualified and experienced instructors provides pilot, maintenance technician, flight attendant and scheduler/dispatcher training. We serve the business aviation industry, commercial airlines, and government and military agencies around the world.”
FlightSafety is not only also driving air safety, it is also driving Bergen County’s economy. Robayo says, “FlightSafety’s Teterboro Learning Center connects with the community by creating over 100 jobs for those in the local areas. We train over 2,000 people a year which brings business to the area for hotels, restaurants, car rentals and other local businesses and attractions.
In summary, Robayo says, “FlightSafety is proud to have been a member of the Bergen County business community since 1975. Our Teammates and Customers value and appreciate the convenient location of our Learning Center and proximity to other aviation companies. New Jersey is an excellent place to live, work, and conduct business.”