Joint Venture announced with ASE

Pacific Simulators and Aeronautical Systems Engineering (ASE) have joined forces in building cost-competitive full flight simulators (FFSs) for the business jet market.

The companies’ first joint enterprise is a Cessna Citation Mustang FFS – an aircraft for which there is strong international demand across the business and recreational sectors. The Level C simulator is on track for completion by August 2010 and will be available for demonstrations at ASE’s Odessa, Florida showroom.

Both companies are known for producing premium-quality, cost-effective flight simulators and are leaders in their respective niches. They anticipate working closely together on a case-by-case basis while still remaining open to forming relationships with other commercial partners on specific projects.

Pacific Simulators CEO, Bill Highet, says the new combined approach is a significant development and will benefit both companies. “With our complementary skills and diverse locations, we can establish a larger footprint jointly than we can individually; effectively representing each other’s interests in expanded markets.”

He went on to say: “Pacific Simulators’ New Zealand location makes us well suited to high-quality effective niche manufacturing and we already offer a generic multi-crew FTD. However, in order to produce higher-specification devices, it makes good sense for us to partner with other organisations, rather than further develop our own capability.

“Combining ASE’s skills in software development, flight modelling and motion bases with Pacific Simulators’ high-fidelity cost-effective cockpit hardware replications means we can jointly deliver total training solutions at extremely competitive prices,” said Highet.

ASE, Inc.’s CEO, Faiek Zora, stated: “Pacific Simulators has been recognised as a leader in hardware replicas for Boeing aircraft, not only in New Zealand but throughout the world. Both companies complement the other in different areas. It is going to be a great partnership.

“This partnership allows both companies to play off each other’s strengths. Pac Sim can focus on replicating the precise hardware and ASE can provide the control loading, motion base, flight testing and software to bring the whole package together. This collaborative effort allows us to provide an extremely competitive product at all points on the spectrum in the world of flight simulation,” said Zora.

September 2009