A group of industry representatives from helicopter OEMs, training companies and operators is close to submitting to the International Civil Aviation Organization a formal framework of recommendations aimed at standardizing flight training devices. The work began three years ago and will eventually consume 80,000 man hours and cost between $5 million and $8 million. The organization, called Helicopter-International Working Group, formed in 2006 with the goal of harmonizing the growing number of international regulations relating to flight training devices. A training group has been tasked with defining the requirements for flight training device level approval, while a separate technical group is exploring the technical requirements for the devices. The framework that the 35-member group will submit to ICAO next year will stress “bare minimum” standards, but be flexible enough to permit helicopter training device manufacturers to add realism and extra features to their products. The group said its effort is the “largest of its sort in the industry.”