Newly-established GA company Simcheck will bring a Level D C208 Caravan Full-motion Flight Simulator (FFS) to Australia in late 2025, the company announced today.
When operational, it will be the first of its type installed anywhere outside the USA, most likely based in Brisbane or Sydney.
Pending CASA approval, the sim will enable trainees to train for initial class ratings and gas turbine design feature, including systems malfunctions and upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT).
They will also be able to perform complex procedures, such as hot and hung starts, previously limited on actual C208 aircraft due to the risk of system damage.
Simcheck believes incorporating these procedures into a simulator ensures training is safer and more realistic, and significantly enhances pilot preparedness and passenger safety.
Simcheck Director Joseph Marks said the $10 million investment would raise the level of Caravan training available to Australian GA pilots.
“This C208 FFS brings cutting-edge training capabilities to general aviation in Australia, previously available only to Part 121 and select Part 135 operators," he said.
“Our vision is to collaborate with equal-opportunity industry operators to elevate pilot training standards, particularly at grassroots industry levels.
"Our FFS partner, with their extensive track record of producing high-quality simulators, was the clear choice, especially with their commitment to advanced training solutions like Extended Envelope Training (EET) for Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT)."
Simcheck has entered a partnership with UPRT Australia to deliver the UPRT component of the training, which will enable pilots to train for and practice emergency manoeuvring in the safety of the FFS.
“We are thrilled to partner with Simcheck on this vital training opportunity” said UPRT Australia CEO Shane Tobin.
“The FFS brings much-needed UPRT capabilities to the turboprop sector, where the 2023 IATA Safety Report indicates that the risk of LOC-I [Loss of Control Inflight] is approximately six times higher than in the jet sector. This simulator enables us to address LOC-I head-on and raise the bar for safety in our region.”
Simcheck is a private company set-up to bring this sim to Australia, but Marks hopes in the future to expand the operation to include a Part 142 AOC that will permit the company to do check-and-training work. In the meantime, the sim will be made available to other training AOCs.
Maddy Johnson, chair of the Australian Flight Training Industry Association (AFTIA) said her organisation could see the benefits of the new sim once it is operational.
“Simcheck and UPRT Australia are jointly driving essential advancements in our country’s aviation sector,” she said.
“We are excited to support this initiative to enhance pilot training outcomes, which will ultimately benefit the entire industry and those who depend on it.
"Access to new technologies and the proven positive results of FFS should extend not only to Part 121 operators but to all training sectors, from ab-initio onward.”
Australia currently has around 130 C208 and C208B aircraft on the civil register, operating all mission including freight, parachuting, RPT and private flying.
More information is on the Simcheck website.