Boeing Delivers New Chinook Training Capability CH-47D Chinook helicopter maintenance trainer

The Boeing Company has shipped a new CH-47D Chinook helicopter maintenance trainer to the U.S. Army National Guard that will provide a hands-on tool for soldiers, technicians and other flight personnel.

The trainer, modified from a retired U.S. Army CH-47D, will be ready for use by the end of October at the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.

"The Chinook Helicopter Maintenance Trainer (CHMT) brings a more complete training capability to our customer," said Tony Jones, vice president of Training Systems and Services, a division of IDS Support Systems. "By adding modern technologies and design techniques to our existing capabilities, Boeing was able to provide a low-risk training solution that brings more capability to the warfighter."

The CHMT is a full-sized, high-fidelity replica of a CH-47D Chinook helicopter designed to reduce the need to train maintenance tasks on an operational helicopter. It includes drive- and powertrains, flight controls, hydraulic and electrical power systems and an instructor operator station. The operator station allows maintenance personnel to simulate "faults" or "malfunctions," which will enhance diagnostics and problem-solving skills while improving maintenance effectiveness.