October 23, 2024—Blue Grass Airport’s Regional Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Training Center is excited to announce the installation of a newly upgraded aircraft simulator, along with a brand-new helicopter simulator. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-designated training center provides top-tier education for ARFF professionals at Blue Grass Airport and airports of all sizes across the country. Offering both basic and advanced courses, as well as customized training to meet the specific needs of departments, the training center’s new simulators will significantly enhance the realism and depth of the training experience.
To celebrate the completion of this project, the training center hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included special guest speakers and live fire demonstrations of the new simulator’s capabilities. The speakers included Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Director of Airports Steven Hicks and Blue Grass Airport President & CEO Eric Frankl.
“These new fire simulators allow us to offer more advanced training and cover a wider range of scenarios, better-preparing firefighting professionals to protect and ensure the safety of the flying public,” said Eric Frankl. “We are grateful for the support of the FAA and proud that Blue Grass Airport is one of only a small handful of airports nationwide to have a designated training center.”
“Blue Grass Airport’s investment in these advanced simulators is a critical step toward enhancing aviation safety and emergency preparedness,” said Congressman Andy Barr. “By equipping first responders with the best possible training, we ensure they are ready to protect passengers and crew in the most challenging situations. Lexington continues to lead in aviation safety, and the dedication of these professionals makes all the difference in safeguarding lives.”
Replacing the previous structure, the new simulator is based on the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320. Measuring 98.4 feet long with a wingspan of 63.6 feet, it features a simulated cockpit with a flight control console, pilot and co-pilot seats, passenger compartments, and replicated doors of a Boeing or Airbus aircraft in size, location and operation. It includes wings of various sizes to replicate different aircraft types, ensuring firefighting professionals gain comprehensive experience in emergency preparedness. This upgraded equipment can demonstrate 28 fire simulations, which can be combined to offer a wide range of fire training scenarios that were previously unavailable.
In addition to this new aircraft simulator, a 30-foot-long helicopter simulator modeled after the UH60 Blackhawk has also been added. This equipment provides the training center staff with more opportunities to train firefighting professionals for the unique challenges of responding to a helicopter accident.
Blue Grass Airport’s Regional ARFF Training Center began renovations in late 2023 to upgrade its simulator. Alpine Metal Tech North America was selected to oversee the construction and installation of the new equipment, and work was recently completed just in time for fall training classes. While the training center staff continued providing limited course instruction during construction, a full range of classes is now being offered again.