Lebanese Air Force Marks Milestone with Inaugural MD Helicopter Training Graduation

The Lebanese Air Force has successfully concluded its initial training session at MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Flight Training Academy. This marks the first of three training sessions involving pilots, maintenance personnel, and armament staff, conducted in Mesa, Arizona, along with an off-site location for gunnery exercises.

Employing the Lebanese Air Force’s MD 530Fs for training enabled participants to gain familiarity with their own aircraft, ensuring a high readiness level during all training phases and upon delivery. Pilot instruction included aircraft qualification, emergency touchdown procedures, basic combat techniques, and tactics performed both during the day and at night with night vision goggles (NVG). Tactical training encompassed both individual and team maneuvers, culminating in day/NVG aerial gunnery exercises involving the customer’s pilots, maintenance teams, and armament staff, simulating combat conditions. Furthermore, additional instruction was provided for instructor and maintenance test pilots, along with supplementary quality control courses, enhancing the customer’s proficiency in both operating and maintaining the aircraft.

In spite of heightened travel limitations due to COVID-19, MDHI continues to offer training to clients in both hangar and classroom environments. MDHI maintains rigorous social distancing protocols and employs thorough sanitation methods to ensure that training areas and aircraft are disinfected for the safety of all participants.

MDHI Flight Training Academy takes pride in delivering a comprehensive training solution for clients and operators globally. We tailor all training programs to align with the customer’s desired outcomes, executing training at MDHI’s facilities in Arizona or on-site at the customer’s training venue.