Boeing, Netherlands' World Class Aviation Academy to Provide Military Aviation Training

The Boeing Company and World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA) of the Netherlands today announced that they have signed a teaming agreement to provide customers in the region with military maintenance training on fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

Boeing and the WCAA will develop courses that meet the educational needs of the aviation industry in the Netherlands and of the ROC West-Brabant, a regional training center under the Dutch Ministry of Education. These courses will train aircraft maintainers annually at a new WCAA maintenance training facility located at Aviolanda in Hoogerheide in the Province of Noord-Brabant.

Renovation of the facility is expected to be finished during the second quarter of 2010.

Initially, the team will aim to provide helicopter and fixed-wing maintenance training to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The WCAA will acquire a CH-47 Chinook airframe that Boeing will convert into a maintenance training device. The team intends to expand the training curriculum to include AH-64 Apache and non-Boeing platforms as well.

"Together with the WCAA and ROC West-Brabant, we're establishing a capability that addresses our customers' growing needs to have enough certified technicians available to keep their aircraft operationally safe and ready," said Steve Winkler, Boeing International Support Systems director of International Alliances.

Boeing's full range of training solutions includes mission planning systems; aircrew and maintenance training devices; training centers; and training services including instructors, courseware and logistics support.

"Boeing has a long history in training, and we are proud to have them on board as our partner," said World Class Aviation Academy Director Peter Huis in't Veld. "With their involvement, we are able to improve the quality of our basic and type maintenance training. The presence of fully qualified, trained human capital in our region is very attractive for all aerospace industry."

ROC West-Brabant Steering Board Chairman Rob Franken said the agreement is an example of an innovative public-private partnership between industry, educational institutions and the government: "As the first public institution in Europe to receive European Aviation Safety Agency part 147 certification, we can provide our students with the opportunity to have global careers in aircraft maintenance."

"During these challenging economic times, it is important to invest in innovation, research, well-trained labor and cooperation between entrepreneurs, education and government bodies," said Lily Jacobs, Province of Noord-Brabant Regional Minister of Economy. "We are very happy that Boeing and the World Class Aviation Academy have chosen this location. This form of cooperation leads to innovation that can immediately be put into practice -- doing business in Brabant will deliver a multiplier effect."