Sikorsky Global Helicopters Honors UND Aerospace at Heli-Expo 2010

HOUSTON, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky Global Helicopters, a business unit of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., today at Heli-Expo honored the University of North Dakota's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences for its exemplary training efforts with S-300™ helicopters. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

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UND Aerospace has operated S-300 series helicopters in its training program since 1983. The school currently operates six Sikorsky light helicopters and has four more S-300C™ helicopters on order this year.

"The strength of our training program depends on the quality and dependability of the aircraft we operate, particularly the S-300C helicopter," said Al Palmer, director of UND Aerospace flight operations. "We are proud of our long association with Sikorsky Global Helicopters and the solid training helicopter they provide."

The school provides specialized pilot training programs to commercial and military helicopter operators and has a growing undergraduate helicopter training program.

"Many civil and military operators look to UND Aerospace to provide world-class helicopter training," said David Oglesbee, director, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, Light Helicopter Division. "The partnership we have with UND has been influential in introducing Sikorsky light helicopters to future pilots in a variety of missions."

This year, UND Aerospace began training pilots from the Ministry of Interior, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (MOI) in S-300C helicopters. Recently, the MOI took delivery of two S-434™ helicopters. The MOI students first attend one year of English language classes and then a 20-month helicopter training program.

UND Aerospace also has a long history of training Army ROTC cadets already enrolled as undergraduates in the school's aviation program. Since 2003, UND Aerospace has also provided summer training courses to cadets from West Point and other Army ROTC programs around the country.

The school is also active in commercial helicopter pilot training. Saudi Aramco, the global oil company, has sent pilots to UND Aerospace for training since the late 1980s. 

Recognized worldwide as a leader in rotary and fixed wing flight training, UND Aerospace combines first-class, hands-on instruction with advanced technology to prepare students for the rapidly evolving aviation field. The school operates one of the largest fixed wing and rotary wing training fleets in the world and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in aviation, atmospheric sciences, computer science, and space studies.

The S-300C helicopter is known for its versatility in a broad range of operations, from law enforcement and utility patrol to lift operations. With its 950-pound useful load, the S-300C helicopter combines precise maneuverability with outstanding endurance at an economical price.

Sikorsky Global Helicopters, a Sikorsky company, produces the S-76®, S-92®, and H-92™ helicopters as well as the S-300C™, S-300CBi™, S-333™, and S-434™ light helicopters. Its subsidiaries include Keystone Helicopter Corp. and Associated Aircraft Group (AAG).

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

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SOURCE Sikorsky Global Helicopters