Iran to start pilot training for civilian helicopters

Iran Helicopter Company plans to train civilian helicopter pilots for the first time in the country's history, company president Seyed Mahmoud Azin announced on Sunday.
"We plan to train 40 civilian helicopter pilots in the country," Azin said, addressing a ceremony in Tehran today.
He said the Iran Helicopters Company has established an institute to train civilian helicopter pilots, and added, "We can train 20 pilots every six months from among those who have completed CPL courses."
Iran has taken a wide stride in aerospace and aviation sector in both military and civilian fields in the last decade.
Managing-Director of Iran's Helicopter Renovation and Logistics Company (PANHA) Mohammad Ali Ahmadabadi announced in February that the country's latest home-made helicopter, 'Homa', is having its final flight tests.
"The helicopter has been built as a result of the efforts of PANHA company and is a 14-seater chopper," Ahmadabadi told reporters in Tehran in mid February.
"Homa has had its test flight and is now in the final test stage," he added.
Ahmadabadi had announced in January that the PANHA experts would build another fully home-made helicopter in the coming months.
"The production of Iran's home-made helicopter will be 100 percent complete by the end of September 2015," Ahmadabadi said in January.
On November 18, Iran unveiled a new home-made helicopter named 'Sorena' in the 7th International Air and Aviation Industries exhibition on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf.
The helicopter was unveiled in a ceremony in the presence of Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Soerna Sattari and Managing-Director of the Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) Manouchehr Manteqi.
"Sorena is a 4-seater helicopter with 300 HP power," Ahmadabadi told FNA at the time.
Noting that the helicopter has a flight speed of 160km and enjoys dual steering system, he said that the helicopter is used for patrolling and training missions.
In relevant remarks in February, Ahmadabadi underlined that the country was the third biggest helicopter power in the world, but said the country was seeking even more progress in this field.
“Iran is the third helicopter power in the world; of course we are far from the heights to which we should ascend,” Ahmadabadi said, addressing the first national helicopter conference in Tehran.