Pilot Training Industry Supplier Feature – Next Generation Training Aircraft – Elixir Aircraft

In this week’s AFM Pilot Training Leadership Interview Series we speak with Cyril Champenois, Co-Founder of Elixir Aircraft – a France headquartered training aircraft manufacturer specialized in providing flight training organisation’s with a 4th generation part-23 aircraft.

The conversation covers:

  • Mission & Innovation: Elixir Aircraft, established in 2015, is dedicated to building a new generation of safer, simpler, and more efficient aircraft for use by flight training organisations. It uses a unique one-shot carbon fiber technology that reduces the number of parts in the structure. This innovation leads to easier maintenance and improved reliability in every flight.
  • Training Market Focus: The company strategically targets the flight training sector, recognizing the need for modern, cost-effective solutions. The aircraft is designed to meet the specific demands of flight schools, including low operating costs, enhanced safety features (including parachute), and modern avionics.
  • Sustainability & Efficiency: Elixir Aircraft integrates sustainability into its core strategy, starting with highly fuel-efficient piston engines. Looking ahead, they are developing hybrid and electric propulsion systems to align with future environmental regulations.
  • Customer-Centric Design: Pilot and customer feedback play a central role in Elixir Aircraft’s development process. By involving end-users early and often, the company ensures that aircraft design decisions are practical and user-friendly. This has led to thoughtful cockpit layouts, intuitive controls, and an overall better flying experience.
  • Global Growth & Vision: Although based in France, Elixir Aircraft is rapidly expanding its presence internationally, with a focus on entering markets like the U.S. The company is scaling production to meet rising demand while maintaining high standards of quality and innovation. Their goal is to become a global leader in next-generation light aircraft.

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Fargo Jet Center Completes Delivery of Air Medical King Air 360C to Greece’s Ministry of Health

Fargo, North Dakota, USA –  Fargo Jet Center (FJC) proudly announces the completion and delivery of a newly outfitted dedicated air medical Beechcraft King Air 360C to the Hellenic Ministry of Health’s National Center for Emergency Care (EKAB). Generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of its Global Health Initiative (GHI), the aircraft will be operated by the Hellenic Air Force as part of Greece’s expanding national air ambulance program.

This King Air 360C is the third aircraft FJC has completed for EKAB in the past five years, continuing a trusted partnership focused on delivering highly capable, mission-ready air medical platforms. The new aircraft will be used to provide critical emergency care and patient transfers between remote areas and medical facilities throughout Greece and surrounding regions.

A delegation from Greece traveled to Fargo last week to perform final inspections and formally accept the aircraft.

“It’s an honor to support Greece’s investment in air medical transport,” said Jim Sweeney, President of Fargo Jet Center. “Our team takes great pride in transforming these aircraft into flying intensive care units. We understand that every detail matters when lives are on the line, and we’re proud to deliver a platform that’s ready to serve from day one.”

“As the nationwide public ambulance service in Greece, EKAB is celebrating its 40 years of service,” said Dr. Demetrios Pyrros, Director of Medical Services for EKAB. “This additional aircraft will enhance our capacity to serve the Greek citizens, as well as the 30+ million annual visitors who may need emergency medical transport. The generosity of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation makes this possible, and we are looking forward to putting it in operational use with the support of the Hellenic Air Force.”

Fargo Jet Center managed the full interior completion of the aircraft, which was supplied factory-new by Textron Aviation. Medical equipment integration was completed in partnership with Spectrum Aeromed, whose headquarters are also located at Fargo’s Hector International Airport.

FJC’s comprehensive air ambulance completion included:

  • Full cabin integration of dual Spectrum life support systems
  • Medical-grade stainless steel sidewalls for sanitation and durability
  • Integrated oxygen, air, vacuum, and power outlets
  • Custom medical cabinet and forward storage cabinets
  • Overhead Brownline tracks for flexible equipment mounting and positioning
  • High-efficiency LED cabin lighting

About Fargo Jet Center
Headquartered in Fargo, ND (KFAR), Fargo Jet Center (FJC) is a global leader in aviation services and special mission aircraft modifications. Since 1995, FJC has completed more than 145 special mission aircraft used worldwide for air medical transport, atmospheric research, reconnaissance, and cloud seeding. FJC has extensive modification experience across platforms, including the Beechcraft King Air series, Cessna Citations, Bombardier Learjets, Pilatus PC-12, Daher Kodiak, and others. The company also holds multiple FAA STCs (validated in Europe (EASA) and China (VSTC)) for the integration of atmospheric research and cloud seeding systems in King Air aircraft.

In addition to special missions, FJC provides a full range of aviation services including FBO operations, maintenance, avionics, aircraft charter and management, flight training, and interior completions. Its Minneapolis-based subsidiary, Premier Jet Center (KFCM), complements these services and is home to Exclusive Aircraft Sales, an IADA-accredited dealer. Fargo Jet Center and Premier Jet Center are members of NATA, NBAA, the Avfuel-branded FBO network, and the Paragon Aviation Group.

Source: Fargo Jet Center
Photo Credit: Fargo Jet Center

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Blackshape lands in Istanbul for IFTE 2025-The International Flight Training Exhibition

Italy and Turkiye – Blackshape S.p.A., part of the high-tech Italian industrial Holding Angel (active in the railway, aerospace, and digital mechatronics sectors), is among the leading players at the International Flight Training Exhibition (IFTE), taking place in Istanbul from May 9 to 11, 2025.

At this key event for the global flight training ecosystem, Blackshape will present its next-generation trainer aircraft while looking with interest at potential areas of mutual interest with Turkish aerospace stakeholders. As part of its international development approach, the company is open to evaluating potential avenues for collaboration, including technology exchange and licensed production, with a view to fostering long-term industrial synergies.

On display and available for demo flights at IFTE will be the Blackshape Gabriél, the company’s flagship solution for basic military and civil pilot training. Certified by both EASA and FAA and available with Lycoming and Rotax powerplants, the Gabriél combines a sleek carbon-composite airframe, full tandem cockpit layout, and redundant avionics suite to deliver unmatched training value.

The Gabriél is designed to play a central role in the new generation of flight training, combining cutting-edge performance technology with exceptional performance. Blackshape’s development roadmap includes turboprop and hybrid-electric variants both in tandem and side-by-side configuration, reflecting the company’s vision for a more sustainable and mission-adaptable aviation future.

“Participating in IFTE 2025 is a strategic opportunity to strengthen our international presence and showcase the Gabriél as a benchmark platform for flight training,” said Niccolò Chierroni, CEO of Blackshape. “We are excited to explore new partnerships with Turkish and international stakeholders, with the goal of building a more efficient and innovative global ecosystem together.”

Blackshape will be present at its stand (A21 + A22) to offer a first-hand experience of the performance, design, and innovation that define the Gabriel aircraft – and to explore new frontiers for cooperation in pilot training excellence.

Source: Blackshape

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CAE Launches a New Era in Airline Operations with Flightscape – Powered by CAE

Global – CAE announced that it has rebranded its portfolio of airline operations solutions to Flightscape – Powered by CAE. Flightscape is a data-driven platform for airlines that provides real-time insights to improve operational performance. With Flightscape, CAE is ushering in a new era in operational intelligence, empowering all Operations Control Centre (OCC) stakeholders to prevent disruptions and adapt seamlessly when challenges arise, to optimize operations and costs in even the most complex and time-sensitive situations.

“Flightscape is the ultimate decision-making platform for airlines, powered by CAE. In a dynamic operating environment, airlines need to seize every opportunity to improve performance, reduce costs and optimize resources while enhancing the passenger experience,” said Pascal Grenier, Division President, Flightscape, Airline Operations Solutions. “Flightscape provides real-time insights that enable airlines to adapt to ever-changing conditions.  We recognize that our customers aren’t just buying a solution, they are choosing a long-term partner and our objective with Flightscape is to ensure our airline partners have advanced solutions to optimize their operations.”

Flightscape is the next chapter for CAE’s operations platform. Since entering the airline operations market three years ago, CAE has transformed the business and has put customers at the heart of everything it does. The company has invested significantly in its solutions and growing its airline OCC offering into a unified, modular platform that can scale with evolving needs. It has also strengthened its implementation process and customer service globally to ensure long-term success of its airline partners, including French regional airline, HOP! where Flightscape’s Operations Control solution was successfully implemented earlier this year.

“The implementation of our first module, Flightscape’s Operations Control solution was completed in the first quarter of this year, and we could not be more pleased with the results and impressed by the successful and customized implementation process,” said Eric Chaumette, Chief Information Officer of HOP!. Two more modules, Crew Manager and Crew Planner, are expected to go live in late 2025, a process overseen by a dedicated onboarding team. “This represents a technological transformation for us, as we were using old systems that were locally hosted. Moving to Flightscape’s cloud-based solution – which is continuously updated – we feel confident this new system is setting us up to be more cost-effective, reactive and proactive going forward, while maintaining a high passenger experience level.”

Built on a modular architecture, Flightscape enables airlines to deploy the solutions they need for operations control, crew management, flight management, airport management, and in-flight service management. Flightscape’s Unified Task Board integrates data from multiple OCC systems to streamline critical decision-making and boost operational efficiency during time-critical situations. Delivered as a cloud-native SaaS, the Flightscape portfolio provides a more agile, cost-effective, and future-proof solution than proprietary software, ensuring continuous access to the latest features, security updates, and regulatory compliance without manual intervention. The system integrates easily with existing tools via secure APIs, and its architecture adapts to evolving technologies, making it a long-term, low-risk investment for modern airline operations.

About HOP!
HOP! is 100% owned by AIR FRANCE. The company provides flight hours in ACMI on behalf of Air France and offers more than 60 destinations in France and Europe. Flights, mainly to and from the Hubs at Roissy-CDG and Lyon, are operated regularly at times suited to business travellers and leisure customers alike. HOP’s Maintenance and Engineering Division carries out all maintenance of the airline’s fleet thanks to expertise acquired over more than 20 years of work on regional aircraft. It proposes engineering services, base maintenance and major maintenance inspections to other airlines operating regional aircraft. HOP!, which is Part-CAMO, Part-21-J, Part-147 and Part-145 approved, also operates an aircraft maintenance technician training centre in Clermont-Ferrand.

About CAE
At CAE, we equip people in critical roles with the expertise and solutions to create a safer world. As a technology company, we digitalize the physical world, deploying software-based simulation training and critical operations support solutions. Above all else, we empower pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians, airlines, business aviation operators, and defence and security forces to perform at their best every day and when the stakes are the highest. Around the globe, we’re everywhere customers need us to be with approximately 13,000 employees in more than 240 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. CAE represents more than 75 years of industry firsts—the highest-fidelity flight and mission simulators as well as training programs powered by digital technologies. We embed sustainability in everything we do. Today and tomorrow, we’ll make sure our customers are ready for the moments that matter.

Source: CAE
Photo Credit: CAE

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Flight School Management Software Flight Schedule Pro Adds 70 New Flight Schools in 2025 Q1 Growth

USA – Flight Schedule Pro, an operating platform solution for flight training organizations, reported a milestone Q1 2025, welcoming 70 new flight schools to its user base. The growth reflects strong demand for scalable, integrated systems that unify flight training operations—from scheduling and billing to maintenance and student progression.

  • 70 new flight schools joined FSP in Q1 2025, including Delta Qualiflight Aviation Academy and Centennial Aviation Academy

  • FSP now serves over 1,400 training organizations globally

  • The platform offers:

    • End-to-end integration across scheduling, billing, maintenance, training, and reporting

    • Ground school integrations with Sporty’s and AviatorPro

    • A built-in connection to LogTen, enabling progress tracking from training to employment

Flight Schedule Pro vs. Alternatives

  • FSP’s advantages include scalability for Part 61 and Part 141 operations, U.S.-based support, and comprehensive tools that outperform marketing-driven competitors

  • Recent features have allowed schools to integrate ground training sales as a new revenue stream, reducing reliance on manual tracking systems

LogTen Momentum

  • Q1 2025 Stats:

    • 28,940 downloads

    • 7,551 new pilot accounts

    • 54,000+ pro subscribers

  • New LogTen features help translate logged hours into job readiness

  • Enhanced synergy with FSP supports a career-connected training ecosystem

Source: Flight Schedule Pro
Photo Credit: Flight Schedule Pro

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