Classroom and flight training are under way at McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems in Mesa, Ariz., where the Apache Longbow is in production. McDonnell Douglas and the U.S. Army have teamed to train the men and women who will fly and maintain the AH-64D Apache Longbow, the world's most advanced multi-mission combat helicopter for the nation's defense in the 21st century.

This is the first time the government has turned to a program's prime contractor to provide comprehensive training outside military-operated training centers. Students will receive classroom and simulator training from McDonnell Douglas Training Systems and then move into actual aircraft under the guidance of McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems pilots. Training of the initial cadre of Army instructor pilots will be completed by August, and they will then take over responsibility for pilot flight training. A class of 15 initial key personnel began March 17, and will continue through June. The group is the first of 20 classes of Army Apache Longbow aviators, instructor pilots and maintenance test pilots who will be trained in Mesa over the next two years. Subsequent classes will consist of students from the 1-227 Aviation battalion from Ft. Hood, Texas, and the 3-101 Aviation battalion from Ft. Campbell, Ky. The first U.S. Army Apache Longbow unit will be equipped in July 1998.

During initial training exercises, student pilots logged 46.5 hours of flight time during 30 missions. Maj. Pat Garman, U.S. Army commander of the Apache Longbow Training Company (1-14 Aviation) based in Mesa, called the activities "an excellent first week's effort," adding that training is ahead of schedule.

The students, experienced AH-64A Apache pilots and maintenance personnel, are receiving comprehensive training in the aircraft's multi-purpose displays, communication, navigation and weapons systems. Aviators will receive eight weeks of training while maintenance personnel will receive up to 11 weeks of specialized education. The first group of maintainers will begin instruction in June.

The training efforts follow on the heels of McDonnell Douglas' March 21 rollout of the first production AH-64D Apache Longbow. McDonnell Douglas will remanufacture 232 Apache Longbows under a five-year, multi-year contract with the U.S. Army. The Army plans to remanufacture its entire fleet of more than 758 AH-64A Apaches.

The AH-64D is being developed by a team that includes the U.S. Army, McDonnell Douglas as total systems integrator and a joint venture comprised of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to develop the Longbow Fire Control Radar and the radar frequency Hellfire missile.