Introducing the new lead of (NSEP) National Simulation Evaluation Program

Ajit Oommen 

Chief – Foreign Operations Division, National Simulation Evaluation Program & National Technical Currency Office, National Coordinator – SAFA Canada 

Transport Canada | Government of Canada

ajit.oommen@tc.gc.ca

I had the recent opportunity to meet with Ajit in his new role as Chief at NSEP to discuss the way forward in navigating the challenges with simulator certification and qualifications.

The focus of NSEP going forward will be to service the airline community as a priority as the impact of simulator certification impacts multiple aircraft types and crews and hundreds of passengers.

The solution proposed by Transport Canada will be to deal with the backlog and to work to further improve the efficiency of SIM renewals. The process involves creating approvals through SIM Operators who will tag the Air Operators (Sponsors) when submitting requests for recurrent simulator certification utilizing the Canada / US Bilateral Agreement (BASA SIP).

This will allow Transport Canada to focus on certifying individual devices rather than managing multiple requests from different operators for the same device, resulting in a more streamlined administrative process and enabling a response to more requests from Canadian air operators. Although Transport Canada is briefing SIM Operators, they have agreed that the Association can directly share with members the notification recently sent (see here) to SIM Operators.

Airlines should be responsible when dealing with third party simulator providers that their machines are current and certified by TC before they book sim sessions.