Bell Expands H-1 Advanced Maintenance Training Academy for USMC

What does Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton, MCAS Futenma, Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center, and Bell’s Repair and Overhaul Center have in common? They are all locations where U.S. Marine Corps aircraft maintainers come to receive top-of-the-line maintenance training for the Bell H-1 aircraft line.

Bell has launched its H-1 Advanced Maintenance Training Academy (AMTA) to provide long-term fleet support through a week-long, interactive training program taught by Bell H-1 maintenance instructors and specialists. The training is an immersive experience coupled with 3-D courseware and hands-on technical instruction for routine maintenance repairs on items such as flight controls, gearboxes, swashplates, and both rotor blades.

“Through the H-1 AMTA, Marine maintainers can take the training knowledge that they receive here and implement it directly on the H-1 flight line, ensuring mission-focused fleet readiness at all times,” said Steve Rudat, H-1 AMTA instructor, Bell.

Marine maintainers from various Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons (MALS) and Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons (HMLA) located around the world, including MALS-29, MALS-39, HMLA-167, HMLA-169, HMLA-267, HMLA-367, HMLA-369, and HMLAT-303, have attended the H-1 AMTA offered at one of the participating locations.

Most recently, MCAS Camp Pendleton was added to the list of locations that host the H-1 AMTA.

“The goal of the AMTA is for Marines to develop a deeper understanding of the H-1 platform and how the different aircraft systems function together. Whether they are at their home squadron or deployed on a mission, our AMTA program provides H-1 Marine maintainers with the skills to keep their aircraft on the flight schedule,” said Bryan Riley, H-1 fleet support manager, Bell.

Since its launch, over 100 Marine maintainers have successfully completed the training program.

“At Bell, we are committed to providing top-tier after-market support to our customers, and this is one of the key ways that we can support the mission of the HMLA community,” said Nate Green, H-1 program manager, Bell.

The Bell H-1 line is purpose-built to support the U.S. Armed Forces. Bell continues to modernize the Bell AH-1Z Viper and Bell UH-1Y Venom to serve the future generations of warfighters. The current line of the Viper and Venom have proven to be two of the most agile, dependable, and interoperable aircrafts on the market.