A SMALL North Yorkshire company which has developed training software has won a blockbuster order from the RAF.

The Ministry of Defence wants the programme created by RTIX Ltd of Harrogate to train thousands of its aircrew, technicians and civilians at some 60 bases in the UK and from the Falklands to Labrador.

The deal, which when rolled out from two British bases to the world will ultimately be worth £250,000 - and it is another huge feather in the cap of Bob Taylor, managing director of RTIX.

The £1 million turnover firm, with just 17 staff, already supplies training management and planning software to more than half the fire brigades in the UK and many in the US as well as health trusts, local authorities, the police, prisons, local authorities and the oil industry.

Until the MoD contract one of the biggest clients on its books was Volvo Cars which has installed the system at its training centres in China and Brazil.

Called TQM-P, the software will be used by the RAF for continual assessment through simulations, exercises and real incidents.

It will record training, evaluate benefits achieved, analyse training requirements, produce training plans and maintain records of competencies acquired, particularly National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).

RTIX will at first conduct RAF training in the use of the software at its own premises in Sceptre House, Harrogate, where last summer it created two spacious, fully-equipped client training rooms , but later the firm's staff will be expected to visit training facilities at bases.

Mr Taylor said: "The first stage - a pilot scheme at three bases will be worth about £60,000 and by the time it has rolled out to all the world's bases it will be worth about £250,000.

"From my point of view this is such a marvellous reference because it takes away any argument from those who say: 'We are a big organisation. Can you cope with us?' You can't get much bigger or more responsible than the often life-or-death training needs of the RAF.

"Now we looking to market the software with other defence organisations both within the UK and abroad but in the meanwhile will cope with the demands of the RAF project with the staff we have."