DCI training is provided both at EALAT flight school in Dax or at the maintenance school in Bourges, either in the client’s country. DCI , through its subsidiary HeliDax , is an important partner of the School of Dax providing flight hours required for basic training of Military pilots (land, sea , air) , the National Gendarmerie, and other pilots of foreign nationalities. Since May 2010, the HeliDax units participated in the training of over 500 students from the French military as well as pilots from Belgium and Niger.
In August 2011, DCI- COFRAS was commissioned by the Qatar Emiri Air Force ( QEAF ) to develop and operate a training school ab initio for helicopter pilots in Qatar in which DCI also provides aircraft maintenance . The ground training for the first promotion was completed in late 2012 and the flight training will be completed in late 2013. The project " Air Academy " is in for the long-term sustainable process.
In 2012, six pilots and six mechanics from Niger have been trained by DCI- COFRAS in France and Niger, in the context of ab initio training. The Government of Niger has decided to extend the project in 2013 with the training of additional crews. The same type of training is being undertaken in Gabon.
“The success of HeliDax opened doors to new foreign markets and we receive many requests from friendly countries who need to train their helicopter pilots. The establishment of the school in Qatar demonstrates the ability of DCI to export military expertise, including in the field of outsourcing. We are also proud to see our training contract with the pilots from Niger continuing,” said General Xavier de Zuchowicz , Director of DCI- COFRAS .
DCI was created in 1972 to assist military equipment sales to foreign countries. Its main mission consisted of providing operational training courses based on the know-how of the French Armed Forces. DCI is an upper medium size service provider in which the French government is the concurring shareholder. DCI now operates throughout the defense and security spectrum.
Culturally close to the Ministry of Defense, DCI offers outsourcing services to foreign countries, for:
- Consulting and assistance throughout the life cycle of armament programs,
- Training engineering in the academic, operational and technical fields.
Lastly, DCI and its subsidiaries have been partners of the French Armed Forces for 10 years within the scope of service contracts and are endeavouring to extend their activities to European Union countries.
