• CAE and BETA to partner and create best in class training program for the ALIA Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft (eVTOL)
• BETA Technologies is an industry leader in Advanced Air Mobility with forward purchase orders from UPS Flight Forward, United Therapeutics & Blade for ALIA eVTOL Aircraft and supporting charging infrastructure
CAE announced today that BETA Technologies (BETA) selected CAE as its partner of choice to design and develop its pilot and maintenance technician training program for the ALIA eVTOL aircraft. CAE will leverage its decades of training expertise to develop a full suite of innovative, digitally integrated curriculum and courseware solutions for the aviation workforce of tomorrow. The new training program will be built from the ground-up, in parallel with BETA’s aircraft certification journey, taking into account the unique operational and mission specific inputs for this aircraft.
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) covers a range of revolutionary new aircraft enabling transport of people and cargo between places previously not served or underserved by civil aviation, with eVTOL aircraft at the forefront. In support of this emerging market, CAE’s dedicated Advanced Air Mobility group offers training and operational support solutions to help innovative companies such as BETA certify their eVTOL aircraft, train their pilots and maintainers, and scale standardized AAM operations across global markets.
“CAE has a rich history in participating in the development and launch of many innovative aircraft," said Kyle Clark, Founder & CEO at BETA. “Flying and maintaining electric aircraft requires an understanding of electric systems and flight dynamics that are new to aviation. Our team is thrilled to be bringing in CAE’s expertise into the fold as we work hand in hand to teach the next generation of pilots and mechanics the unique aspects of flying and maintaining electric aircraft.
“We are drawing on CAE’s close to 75 years of aviation industry thought leadership to help accelerate the advancement of the Advanced Air Mobility industry. We are very excited to partner in the enablement of this new generation of aviators and technicians, who we believe will play a key role in the future success of this revolutionary industry,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. “CAE is a high technology solutions company at the leading edge of digital immersion, and we are committed to supporting the continuing needs of BETA and its operators throughout the lifecycle of the program. This marks the first step to what we believe will be a long-term partnership with BETA, and another example of our commitment to future aviation technologies and sustainability”.
BETA brings a diverse customer base to the advanced air mobility market. BETA is the first eVTOL to receive manned airworthiness from the U.S. Air Force and the company has customers across a suite of industries including logistics (UPS Flight Forward), medical (United Therapeutics), passenger (Blade), and military (U.S. Air Force). BETA has hundreds of hours of manned full-scale flight testing and recently flew its ALIA aircraft over 200 miles.
In November 2020, CAE released a report on 2020-2029 Pilot Demand Outlook in which it was estimated that an expected global requirement of 264,000 new pilots were needed in the civil aviation industry to sustain growth over the next ten years. This does not take into account the additional surge in demand for pilots and technicians in Advanced Air Mobility. CAE is committed to leveraging new digital technologies and developing training methodologies designed for a faster, better, and more efficient throughput of highly qualified pilots and maintenance technicians for this new era of aviation.
BETA Technologies is creating an electric transportation ecosystem that promotes safety, reliability and sustainability. A relentlessly focused team is building an extensive charging infrastructure and ALIA, one of the world’s most technologically advanced electric vertical aircraft (EVA).
BETA’s platform and products are strikingly simple. Prioritization of safety and a pragmatic approach to certification drive elegant redundancy, appropriate diversity of implementation and simplicity of control. ALIA’s fixed-pitch propellers and centrally located batteries increase stability while making the aircraft easier to fly and maneuver.
Every BETA team member is given the opportunity to become flight-certified at no cost, enabling firsthand understanding of aircraft engineering. BETA’s team comes from leading firms and organizations, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the armed services, Boeing, Tesla, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and General Electric.
CAE is a high technology company, at the leading edge of digital immersion, providing solutions to make the world a safer place. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to reimagine the customer experience and revolutionize training and operational support solutions in civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare. We are the partner of choice to customers worldwide who operate in complex, high-stakes and largely regulated environments, where successful outcomes are critical. As testament to our customers’ ongoing needs for our solutions, over 60 percent of CAE’s revenue is recurring in nature. We have the broadest global presence in our industry, with more than 11,000 employees, 180 sites, and training locations in over 35 countries. www.cae.com
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