Worldwide Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation provides hands-on Part 147 practical training for flight departments with aircraft registered in EASA countries. It is conducted at Bordeaux-Mérignac and complements theoretical training from CAE or FlightSafety.
However, some flight departments not under EASA want to go above and beyond requirements. And Dassault is eager to support them wherever they are. So, we were pleased to recently receive a request from Government Air Transport Services in Windhoek, Namibia, for on-site training.
The department has operated Falcons for more than 30 years, including their current lineup of a Falcon 7X and a 900B, providing VIP transport for the president, prime minister, and their teams. The aircraft operate worldwide and are kept in a high state of readiness. A team of seven technicians can perform many service operations on site, and the planes travel to DFS in Mérignac or Le Bourget for heavy inspections.
Recently, the group has had some turnover on the team supporting the 900B and thought it would be a good idea to make them as knowledgeable as possible on this reliable workhorse aircraft.
Enter Romain Fuster, Practical Training Instructor for the Falcon Operational Support Directorate. He hopped on a plane to Windhoek and was immediately pleased to find that the 900B was already being maintained in excellent condition.
The latest focus at the Dassault Training Academy has involved getting Dassault MRO professionals and first customers fully trained on the Falcon 6X, now in service. This is a new course in addition to popular training for current and legacy models. Practical training is offered for the Falcon 900 series, 2000 series, 6X, 7X, and 8X. The Dassault Training Academy has graduated more than 1,400 trainees. Among the learning tools: 3D virtual reality to access any part or system.
Romain spent two weeks with the Namibian team covering all systems, including hydraulics, electrical, flight controls, water and waste, bleed air, and more. Romain reports he loved the time there, working with a very sharp group of individuals, whom he described as very kind and attentive, on and off duty.
Entertainment included a tour of the nearby Okapuka game reserve, where impala, elands, giraffes, oryxes, warthogs, and even the white rhinos play.
For their part, the flight department enjoyed and appreciated Romain’s visit. Tangi Olavi, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, wrote to tell us: “From my personal opinion and of all those who attended the Practical, it was a very fruitful event and an eye opener for many tasks on the aircraft. This exercise boosted our technical knowledge and our overall confidence. We thank Romain for his professional services and the whole Dassault Training Academy Team.”
My response is—thank you, Tangi! We are so delighted whenever we can help our operators maintain their aircraft in top condition. Whether we do that in our own backyard or the far-flung capitals of the world.
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Falcon Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
