The NASTAR Center and ETC host Orange Flag 2010
Southampton, PA, September 30, 2010 — In the spirit of the successful Orange Flag event held in 2009, the NASTAR Center and ETC will once again host International and Domestic Military Pilots for Orange Flag 2010. From October 19th through the 21st, Pilots from around the world are invited to participate in three days of competitive, simulated air-to-air tactical engagements. Each challenging sortie places pilots against each other, or NASTAR® Center Pilots, challenging their combat skills in a virtual tactical air combat environment.
The mission of Orange Flag 2010 is to demonstrate new tactical training technologies, by allowing Pilots to fly the Authentic Tactical Fighting System (ATFS-400 Phoenix Sustained G Flight Simulator) against a traditional “non-G” 4+2 DOF motion simulator (GyroFlight Flight Simulator). These flights will demonstrate to Pilots and Military Commanders how to enhance their combat readiness by providing tactical training in a realistic air combat environment. Orange Flag 2010 provides a forum that encourages a free and open exchange of combat tactics and innovative ideas.
The use of Authentic Tactical Fighting System can provide a high cost savings in many applications, including: mission rehearsal, combat systems research and development, flight dynamics research, and of course tactical training. The goal of tactical flight training is to provide pilots with the skills and experience needed for effective performance in combat. Tactical maneuvering in high-performance jet combat aircraft is a critical and perishable hands-on skill that must be learned and refreshed in an AUTHENTIC tactical maneuvering environment.
Most simulators in use today don’t provide the authentic physiological stresses experienced in tactical flight. “Flight Training Without Physiological Stresses, Is Not Flight Training.”. Airborne flight training provides authentic physiological stress, but shrinking budgets and risk constraints limit flying time and the threats can’t be presented in a fully authentic way. The ATFS-400 Phoenix enables pilots to “train like they fight,” in a safe, less costly and more efficient environment than previously possible.
Pilots trained using authentic tactical flight simulation can receive more training with less risk and reduced cost; about 30 times less cost than airborne tactical training, which can cost an average of $12,000 per hour, compared to approximately $400 per hour using ETC’s ATFS-400. Furthermore, airborne training generally requires that pilots fly well within the flight “envelope,” that is, the performance and stress limits of the aircraft. ETC’s ATFS-400 allows pilots to fly at the “edge of the envelope,” effectively recreating the experience of combat, without the wear and tear on the aircraft that can extend aircraft and system service life as well as the potential hazards of material failure and loss of control.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, and these statements may include terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "future", "predict", "potential", "intend", or "continue", and similar expressions. We base our forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events or future financial performance. Our forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about ETC and its subsidiaries that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.