Archives: Market Intelligences

US Aviation and Flight Training Group Announces Satellite Campus Manager Appointment

Florida, United States headquartered flight and aircraft maintenance training organisation Epic Flight Academy has appointed Alan Hobson as the new site manager at its Tucson International Airport campus. Alan earned his CSEL, CMEL, CFI, and CFII at Epic, and the academy is thrilled to have him overseeing the Tucson campus.

Epic Flight Academy is located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Established in 1999 by CEO Danny Perna, Epic offers Part 141 pilot training and Part 147 aircraft mechanic training. Epic’s main campus is located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida with satellite locations in Ocala, Tallahassee, both in Florida, and Tucson in Arizona. Epic has trained thousands of pilots now flying for 300+ airlines.

Source: Epic Flight Academy
Photo Credit: Epic Flight Academy

Related Posts

US University Announces Flight Training Partnership with Able Flight

Combining the training experience of a major university flight school, and the unique mission of an aviation nonprofit for people with physical disabilities, Able Flight and Southern Illinois University Carbondale will partner on a joint flight training project beginning this year. In May 2024, five Able Flight Scholarship recipients will arrive at the SIU Carbondale campus, where they will stay in university housing and be trained at Southern Illinois Airport by SIU Aviation instructors during an intensive flight training program as they earn their Sport Pilot Certificates.

Able Flight will select scholarship recipients for training at SIU Carbondale from its pool of candidates and will provide two specially adapted Vashon Ranger Light Sport Aircraft in which the student pilots will learn to fly. SIU instructors will receive factory-provided transitional training in the Ranger. At the conclusion of the 2024 training session, Able Flight and SIU will evaluate the program’s success to build upon it in future years.

Housed in the Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center, one of the top facilities in the country, SIU Aviation is part of the College of Health and Human Sciences.

“SIU Carbondale has a long and proud history of accessibility for people with disabilities, so we are very excited about our partnership with Able Flight, which shares our values of providing opportunities,” said Robert D. Morgan, CHHS dean. “This collaboration allows us to further develop much-needed pilots for the aviation workforce and to ensure a rich learning environment for our students. We are grateful to Able Flight for supporting students with specialized aircraft and scholarships, and we look forward to Able Flight Scholars joining the Saluki family.”

Morgan added that the agreement fits in well with the university’s Imagine 2030 strategic plan and its pillars addressing partnerships and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Able Flight Executive Director Charles Stites said, “We’re excited to work with Southern Illinois University to create this opportunity for our scholarship recipients. SIU has an outstanding nationally recognized aviation program and world class facilities, and they have whole-heartedly welcomed Able Flight. During their time there, our scholarship recipients will be immersed in flying in a demanding but supportive setting and have the chance to explore opportunities for future undergraduate and graduate degrees in aviation.”

The flight training program will begin in late May and will expand on Able Flight’s long-term partnership at Purdue University which will also take place again this year.

Source: Able Flight
Photo Credit: Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Related Posts

Global Aviation Training Solution Provider CAE Shares Whitepaper on Technician Extended Reality Training

In a recent white paper publication, global pilot and aircraft maintenance training provider CAE has projected a significant demand for skilled aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) technicians over the next decade. The company estimates a requirement for approximately 402,000 technicians, prompting a call for innovative training solutions to meet this demand.

Partnering with Xennial, CAE proposes a pioneering approach to training utilizing extended reality (XR) technology. This includes augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), offering a blend of physical and digital elements to enhance the learning experience.

CAE’s recent trial implementation of XR technology in technician training programs for Gulfstream G500/600 and G650 aircraft has shown promising results. Douglas Fajardo, CEO of Xennial, highlights the capability to create a full digital twin of an aircraft, revolutionizing training methodologies saying, “Virtual Reality has transformed the landscape of aircraft technician training by offering a realistic and hands-on learning experience. For example, we have the ability to build a full digital twin of a Gulfstream aircraft at this point, with all of the features of its physical twin. VR can now empower technicians to familiarize themselves with aircraft systems, components, and procedures in a simulated immersive environment, fostering a new era of competency, adaptability, and safety in the aviation maintenance industry.”

The deployment of VR hardware, such as headsets and hand-tracking technology, is set to transform technician training, with AI integration further expanding its potential. Alexandre Prevost, CAE’s division president for business aviation and helicopter training, emphasizes the value of VR in mitigating risks associated with traditional training methods, “Aviation is one of the industries where the adoption of emerging technologies is accelerating. Virtual Reality, especially when it comes to aircraft technician training, is proving to be a high value solution. One of the main reasons VR is used in maintenance training is to lower the risks associated with traditional training methods.”

VR training offers several advantages over conventional approaches, including reduced dependency on physical equipment, shorter aircraft downtime, adaptability to new aircraft models, and cost-effectiveness for repetitive practice.

Citing a 2020 PricewaterhouseCoopers study, CAE asserts that VR training can be completed four times faster than classroom training and one-third quicker than e-learning, while also enhancing trainees’ confidence and emotional connection to the content.

In a move to enhance pilot training realism, CAE has integrated Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3D visuals into its full flight simulators. The Prodigy image generator with Unreal Engine is set to become standard on new and existing CAE level-D simulators, starting with the Airbus A320 simulator.

The whitepaper can be found here.

Source: CAE
Photo Credit: CAE

Related Posts