The ACE Training Centre

We're currently in the midst of our second block of cyclic training for the year with our Toll Ambulance Rescue crews. The focus for this training block is practising complex, low-level winching, over both land and the coastal environments whilst utilising night vision goggles (NVG). In addition to using our NVGs, our crews are also utilising other enhanced flight director modes including 'auto hover', which is a function on the aircraft that essentially keeps it at a stable hover, or a low speed, especially important when our pilots have reduced hover references. They can then use 'Transition up' to depart from the auto hover and move into forward flight and climb away from the ground.

Test your HUET knowledge with this example exam question... Place or number the following emergency equipment, in order of preferred activation or deployment (where “1” is the first item you would deploy or activate, “6” is the last), if you had only just escaped from your ditched aircraft and you are still in the water. Food rations / life raft / PLB / water rations / sea anchor / life jacket Let us know your answer in the comments below!

We are thrilled to welcome Kathleen Boseley to the team, an Aviation Solutions Architect. Kathleen brings a wealth of experience in aerospace and avionics engineering, with an impressive career spanning major international companies such as Raytheon, Honeywell, and Northrop Grumman. Her expertise includes working on advanced systems like the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) and the X-47B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). After returning to Australia to raise her family, Kathleen's most recent role was at Airbus, where she spent 13 years in various engineering, quality and management roles. Her passion for aviation, innovative approach, and commitment to improving critical aviation services make her a perfect fit for our team. A warm welcome to Kathleen; we're excited to have your skillset and experience at Toll Aviation. We also look forward to supporting Kathleen in her important work with Aviation / Aerospace Australia.

It was a pleasure to host The CEO Institute at The ACE Training Centre! The CEO Institute provides peer support and leadership programs for senior managers, and some of their cohort were taken behind the scenes of our training facilities and Toll Ambulance Rescue helicopter base. By all accounts the attendees found it a rewarding experience, with one commenting 'the engineer in me has been buzzing all day... the rescue volunteer in me has been dreaming of possibilities and the human in me is just so incredibly grateful your team of amazing humans can deploy a flying ICU in 6mins!'

At The ACE Training Centre, we prepare our students for complex real-life situations through rigorous practice in our AW139 Full Flight Simulator. In a real-world scenario like the one shown in the video, a pilot must follow confined area approach procedures and ensure obstacle and FOD clearance, as well as anticipate any additional challenges that may arise when landing on the scene with a second aircraft nearby. Our students learn to maintain awareness of wind direction and expedite their landing safely to minimise the impact of downwash. By simulating conditions like this, we provide our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle such intricate situations confidently in real life - just as this crew did.

Have you ever wondered how our helicopters fly in clouds? The aircrew have an advanced electronic horizon that allows the pilot to know where the ground and sky are relative to the altitude of the aircraft. Other instruments such as the altimeter (indicating height) and airspeed indicator ensure the helicopter maintains the correct height and airspeeds. The helicopters also have autopilots and flight management systems that allow the aircraft to fly themselves from the information programmed by the aircrew.

We are recruiting for a full-time HUET team member! An exciting role which involves delivering Helicopter Underwater Escape Training, simulator operations, administration and maintenance duties. We will consider any current HUET instructors, Certificate IV trainers & assessors, SCUBA instructors or ADAS qualified occupational divers with up to date First Aid, Advanced Resuscitation, and medical certifications. To learn more or apply, please visit this link: https://bit.ly/3L0VPkz

Toll Aviation recently brought the Shield AI V-BAT to Australian shores and showcased its exciting capabilities at The ACE Training Centre and in demonstrations around the country. The V-BAT is a highly innovative uncrewed aerial system (UAS) which offers an advanced wide-area search capability enhanced by AI-enabled payloads. This makes it ideal for use in many important applications such as surveillance, border protection, counter-narcotics and fisheries protection operations.

Vessel winching is one of the most complex scenarios we train for. In the words of NSW Ambulance Critical Care Paramedic, Lindsay C, “Our training scenarios and simulated mission flights keep our teams well prepared for missions such as these. A high focus on crew resource management helps our teams to coordinate safely and expertly in these challenging environments.” Recently, a Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter crew put their training into practice in a real-life mission, transporting a sick patient from a cruise ship that was on its way into Sydney. The mission involved flying overwater in reduced visibility using the Weather Radar to locate the ship, winching the NSW Ambulance medical team onboard, extracting the patient, and then landing at Wollongong Hospital. Executed safely and efficiently, the mission was a highly challenging but rewarding one for all involved.

Our remaining HUET dates for Q3 and Q4 of 2024 are booking out fast! These are our scheduled dates and availability is limited. August 1 & 15 September 24 October 8 & 22 November 5 & 19 December TBC Remember, if you have a group of 6 or more, you can chat to us about a standalone training date outside this schedule.