MENOMINEE — Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has been working on a 35 million dollar contract to build training helicopters for the Royal Thai Army.

The third of four groups of pilots have made the trip to Menominee to get final in-class avionics training as well as aircraft practice.

The pilots will be training a new generation of Thai officers in the 480-B model training helicopters.

The army purchased sixteen helicopters, and Enstrom has delivered three so far.

“Simulated engine failures, tail-rotor failures,” explains flight instructor, Charles Powiss. “These are things that are unlikely to – but can sometimes go wrong in the aircraft. And I just want to make them proficient in all the emergencies.”

The finished helicopters are loaded onto a boat and will get to Thailand in about thirty days.