Türkiye’s Havelsan enhances Gokbey helicopter with new flight simulator

Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Gokbey helicopter, fitted with Havelsan’s Goksim simulator, allows pilots to practice emergency maneuvers on ground, with EU certification enabling training hours to count as real flight time

Türkiye’s defense firm Havelsan has completed development of the Goksim full-flight simulator designed for training pilots on Gokbey, the homegrown general-purpose helicopter developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). The simulator is now ready for service and will be used for type conversion, emergency drills, mission rehearsals and maintenance training for TAI Gokbey. Mehmet Akif Nacar, Havelsan’s general manager, told Anadolu that the project has reached the delivery stage and that the first pilots to train on the new system will be from the Gendarmerie Aviation Command. Havelsan has previously developed simulators for the Atak, Seahawk, Black Hawk and Cougar helicopters. Nacar said Goksim operates entirely on domestically developed software, with Havelsan engineers designing the visual models, display systems and image generators in-house. The team also created a custom database to accurately render real-world airports and surrounding environments.     Nacar said flight hours logged in the simulator will count toward real flight time, as the system meets the highest certification standards of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The Goksim simulator features an enlarged external structure to replicate Gokbey’s wide cockpit design, including downward-facing floor windows. Developers expanded the visual projection and mirror systems to deliver a realistic wide field of view. Mounted on a six-axis motion platform, the simulator replicates in-flight physical movements on the ground while minimizing the risk of motion sickness or vertigo. Nacar said the simulator will be used not only for initial training but also for periodic reviews, allowing pilots to practice hundreds of emergency procedures that would be too risky to perform in actual flight. Scenarios such as engine failures, cockpit fires and bird strikes can be simulated based on historical civil aviation incidents. Havelsan plans to export the simulator together with the Gokbey helicopter to provide independent training services abroad, as both domestic and international demand for the aircraft is expected to grow. Nacar said developing complementary systems such as Goksim alongside TAI’s Gokbey helicopter will help expand Türkiye’s defense exports through an integrated systems approach.