Tommy operates simulator

Tommy operates simulator

JAKARTA (JP): PT Grahadi Angkasa, a private firm owned by
Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra, President Soeharto's youngest son,
on Friday launched its first Boeing B-737-200 simulator to
improve the skills of the country's pilots.

The B-737-200 simulator, manufactured by Conduction Missouri
and designed with ITS technology, offers two computerized canals
and three windows which provide visual databases of airports in
Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya.

The Directorate General of Air Transportation licensed the use
of the simulator which was installed at a cost of about US$10
million, the Kompas daily reported.

The simulator will help reduce pilot training costs as
domestic airlines will no longer have to send their pilots
overseas, to countries like the United States and Germany, to
undertake Boeing-737 training.

However, simulated training has yet to be supplemented by real
jet training operations to enable a pilot to get a Boeing 737
rating.

Informed sources said Grahadi has set a charge of $300 per
hour for the B-737-200 simulator utilization. Overseas pilot
training centers charge $250 per hour.

But Grahadi has signed agreements with domestic airlines,
including Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Bouraq, Sempati Air,
Airfast, Mandala and Gatari for the use of the simulator.

There are currently some 10 B-737-200 jets operated by
domestic air carriers. (icn)