Market Intelligence: -Flight School

New Certificates in Fixed-Wing Aircrew Qualifications Set to Raise Training Standards in Australia

Canberra, Australia – Leidos Australia has become the first organisation in the country to award nationally recognised qualifications for fixed-wing aircrew training, following its approval as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). The initiative introduces the newly created Certificates III and IV in Airborne Operations, launched earlier this year by Industry Skills Australia, and represents a significant advancement in formal training standards for non-pilot aircrew roles.

  • First nationally recognised qualifications for fixed-wing aircrew training now available in Australia.

  • Certificates III and IV in Airborne Operations formally acknowledge skills for specialised airborne missions, including:

    • Search and rescue

    • Medical evacuation

    • Law enforcement

    • Border protection

  • Aircrew duties covered under the program include operating mission equipment and sensors, communications relay, and supply drops to persons in distress over land or sea.

  • Leidos identified a qualification gap two years ago and partnered with Industry Skills Australia to develop the new framework.

  • Development involved 18 months of national collaboration between industry, training providers, and regulators.

  • Qualifications to be issued via Leidos’ RTO, enhancing the organisation’s profile in specialist aviation training.

Statements

  • “Aircrew play a critical role in national security and emergency response. Providing them with these formal credentials supports national recognition of their skill, professionalism, and dedication,” said Leidos Airborne Solutions Vice President James Woodhams. “These new qualifications promote aviation career pathways for the next generation – and provide a unique option for those wishing to pursue a career in airborne operations.”

  • Industry Skills Australia CEO Paul Walsh said, “Industry Skills Australia is pleased to see these new qualifications being delivered to aviation professionals who carry out specialised airborne missions, saving lives and safeguarding Australians. The development of these qualifications is an example of the way ISA works closely with aviation industry businesses, workers and training providers to understand their workforce needs and implement sustainable training solutions.”

About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025.

Source: Leidos

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Flight School Resource and Training Timeline Forecasting Tool, Aeroplanned, Onboards South African Flight Training Group 43 Air School

South Africa – Aeroplanned, the pioneering resource planning platform for flight training, has added 43 Air School, Africa’s largest and most established airline-focused flight training organisations, to its growing network of clients.

  • 43 Air School operates a fleet of over 50 aircraft across multiple training sites, delivering high-volume cadet programmes for both domestic and international students, including cohorts from Vietnam and India.

  • The partnership will see Aeroplanned’s platform used to improve visibility of student progress, forecast resource demand, and streamline coordination between multiple intakes, instructors, and aircraft.

  • CEO of 43 Air School, Attie Niemann, said: “We were looking for something that could tie our planning together more effectively. Aeroplanned gives us the clarity we need, especially across multiple intakes and a large aircraft fleet.”

  • Aeroplanned CEO Jen Liddle noted: “43 Air School is a busy, fast-paced environment with a lot of moving parts. That’s exactly the kind of challenge Aeroplanned was built to support.”

Learn more about Aeroplanned here: Aeroplanned – Strategic Planning for Flight Training – AFM.aero

Source: Aeroplanned

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UPRT Provider APS Supports US Airline-owned Flight School UPRT Safety Standards

Phoenix, USA – United Aviate Academy (UAA), a wholly owned United Airlines flight training school based at Phoenix–Goodyear Airport, has entered into a strategic partnership with Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), a global leader in Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT), to strengthen its cadets’ resilience against Loss-of-Control In-Flight (LOC-I).

  • UAA has embedded APS’s proprietary Every Pilot In Control Solution StandardTM (EPIC-S2TM) framework into all phases of its upset training.

  • The program integrates ground school, advanced simulation, and on-aircraft UPRT, delivered by APS’s cadre of expert instructors.

  • Training is designed to build startle resilience, cognitive agility, and manual handling skills across the full flight envelope.

  • The FAA and NTSB identify LOC-I as the number-one cause of fatal accidents in both general and commercial aviation, as outlined in the FAA’s General Aviation Safety Fact Sheet (2014–2023).

  • FAA Advisory Circular 120-111 emphasizes prevention-focused UPRT, incorporating early upset detection, CRM integration, and advanced instructor proficiency – all core components of the APS program.

  • APS positions the UAA initiative as a global benchmark for airline-ready pilot training, encouraging other schools to adopt a similar model.

Source: Paul Ransbury (Aviation Performance Solutions)

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BAA Training Appoints Managing Director India in 2025

India – BAA Training, which operates full flight simulator training centers and flight schools around the world, appointed Renu Raina as its new BAA Training India Managing Director. Learn more about BAA Training India or Raina by connecting with her through her LinkedIn profile here.

BAA Training India operates offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore.

Source: Renu Raina (BAA Training India)

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