The new training venture by FlightSafety International and Boeing is narrowing down prospective sites near London for its first international training hub.

Cost of the center is estimated at $85 million. It will ultimately feature 10 or more full-flight simulators, related training aids and maintenance simulators, as well as multi-media classrooms. A final site decision is expected this month.

The new European Training Hub is a first step in assembling a global training network utilizing the combined skills and expertise of both companies, according to Wake Smith, president of FlightSafety Boeing. All Boeing transport aircraft lines will be covered as well as certain "Brand X" models. London was chosen as the most convenient and cost-effective location in Europe, although Belgium also was considered.

Additional FlightSafety Boeing training hubs are planned to provide coverage for Latin American and Asian markets. Possibly two centers will be built in Asia due to its vast size, Smith said. Boeing's huge new Seattle-based training facility likely will serve U.S. markets. A existing, large FlightSafety simulator facility in Miami may be further upgraded to meet the Latin American requirement.

Plans call for the new London center to initially be equipped with five or six full-motion flight simulators and have 62,000 square feet of floor space overall. The site will allow the facility to double in size in the future. All classrooms will be linked by fiber-optics and feature advance technology training devices. There also will be approximately 50 individual workstations for self-paced instruction.

FlightSafety Boeing estimates the center will initially employ 55 full-time workers and attract up to 1,500 pilots and 1,800 maintenance technicians annually. Training typically lasts about a week and the overall economic benefit to the community will reach about $16 million yearly. Construction of a nearby hotel also is being studied.

By Paul Proctor