AirAsia cadets in performance-basedbeta program midway to graduation
CAE today announced at the Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) that the 12 AirAsia cadets in CAE's Multi-crew Pilot License (MPL) beta program class have successfully completed the Core and Basic phases of the program at CAE Global Academy member Moncton Flight College (MFC) in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada.
The Intermediate phase of the CAE MPL program will now be conducted at the CAE SimuFlite training centre in Dallas. In early 2011, the cadets are expected to enter the Advanced phase at CAE's training centre in Toronto, Canada. At the conclusion of the 14-month beta program, which began in March, graduates are expected to receive an MPL license from Transport Canada and authority from the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia (DCAM). The MPL license will be granted following the takeoff and landing phase of training in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Graduates will then enter sponsoring airline AirAsia's initial operating experience (IOE) program for Airbus A320 First Officers.
"This group of MPL cadets and instructors has met or exceeded all expectations, and they are to be commended for their passion and dedication to become airline pilots," said Jeff Roberts, CAE's Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services. "Their success thus far is also testament to the true competency-based learning management system developed by CAE's training solutions experts and the rigorous MPL framework of Transport Canada."
All of the cadets successfully performed solo cross-country flights after an average of 27 hours of simulated and aircraft flight training. The 12 cadets all soloed within two flying days of each other, indicating a consistent pace of learning among the group.
Thus far, the cadets have learned theoretical knowledge and practical skills which include: basic aviation skills, airmanship, multi-crew operations and crew resource management, threat and error management, upset recovery procedures, airline standard operating procedures, instrument procedures, instrument flight rules and night operations.
"The cadets are right where we expected them to be," said Walter Visser, CAE Vice President and leader of the CAE Global Academy. "The diligent effort our team put into designing the CAE MPL program, the selection process, our blended learning approach, and the students' dedication to learning are proving to be very effective in achieving the competency benchmarks CAE and Transport Canada established for the program."
The CAE program is the first application of an MPL program to adhere to new performance-based Approved Training Organization (ATO) certification requirements developed by Transport Canada. The program is designed to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the MPL license
The CAE Global Academy is the world's largest network of ab-initio flight training organizations. The network includes 11 campuses on five continents with a capacity for training up to 1,800 student pilots annually. The CAE Global Academy flight schools are located in Perth, Australia; Brussels, Belgium; Douala, Cameroon; Moncton, Canada; Gondia and Rae Bareli, India; Langkawi, Malaysia; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Evora, Portugal; and Phoenix and San Diego in the United States. Together with CAE's worldwide network of type-rating training centres, CAE Global Academy students can achieve - with a single, capable and credible company -- all of the training and licensing required to become a professional airline pilot, as well as retaining and upgrading their skills and qualifications throughout their career.
CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.5 billion, CAE employs more than 7,500 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in more than 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 29 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments, and through CAE's professional services division we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs.
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A high resolution downloadable photo of the CAE MPL beta program cadets following their successful solo flights will be available later today at www.cae.com/photos.
CAE contacts:
Nathalie Bourque, Vice President, Public Affairs and Global Communications, (514) 734-5788, [email protected]
Trade media: Chris Stellwag, Director, Marketing Communications, Military and Civil, (813) 887-1242,[email protected]
Investor relations: Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategy, (514) 734-5760, [email protected]
