Emirates Flight Training Academy opens

Emirates Flight Training Academy for training ab initio pilots has been officially inaugurated during the Dubai Airshow.

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His Highness Sheikh Ahmed, one of the many dignitaries present, said: “The Emirates Flight Training Academy is designed to be one of the most advanced flight training facilities not just in the Middle East region, but in the entire world. This is the only academy in the world that provides complete integration of flight training, ground school, accommodation and recreation under one roof. Students will not only get the best training but will be able to enjoy comfortable living standards while undergoing training. The Academy will set new benchmarks for next-generation pilot training relying on innovation and partnering with industry training organisations, strengthening Dubai’s position as a global hub for aviation.

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Located in Dubai South, the Emirates Flight Training Academy was first announced at the 2011 Dubai Airshow. Construction for the facility started in 2015, and early this year, landside facilities as well as the first phase of accommodation were completed. The Academy is a full-residential facility spread over an area of 164,000 square metres. It includes 36 ground school classrooms, ground based simulators, a fleet of 27 training aircraft, a 1,800 metre dedicated runway with navigation aids and lighting, an independent air traffic control tower, rescue and firefighting service, and a maintenance centre. Cadets, both male and female, admitted into the programme will have access to individual studio accommodation in addition to a range of sports and leisure facilities. The Academy will be able to accommodate up to 600 cadets at any one time.

The pilot training curriculum starts with classroom based ATPL (Airline Transport Pilots License) training in addition to any foundation courses that may be required including English language training. Cadets first learn to fly the single-engine piston Cirrus SR22 G6 aircraft and then progress directly progressing to the Phenom 100EV very light jet (VLJ) aircraft. Cadets will graduate with a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) on a multi-engine aircraft with Instrument Rating, and frozen ATPL. The total course duration will vary between 21 months and 3.5 years depending on whether cadets require foundation courses in addition to the regular curriculum.

Emirates Flight Training Academy has partnered with Boeing for an integrated software system to manage cadet learning and training flight operations. In addition, learning in the classrooms will also be delivered using fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology to help cadets gain a deeper understanding of the principles of flight and aircraft operation. The Academy has invested over US$ 39 million in a modern fleet of 27 training aircraft- 22 Cirrus SR22 G6 single-engine piston aircraft and five Embraer Phenom 100EV very light jet aircraft.

The Cirrus SR22 G6 aircraft will form the backbone of the Academy’s fleet and it has currently taken delivery of six of the 22 aircraft. In July 2016, the Emirates Flight Training Academy became one of the launch customers for the Embraer Phenom 100EV aircraft when it upgraded its previous order for five Phenom 100 E aircraft. The first of the Academy’s Embraer Phenom 100EV aircraft arrived in Dubai earlier this month.

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At the Academy, cadets will complete at least 1,100 hours of ground-based training and 315 hours of flight training (including simulator flying) using a competency based approach. The first batch of cadets – part of Emirates’ UAE National Cadet training programme – have moved into the Emirates Flight Training Academy. Cadets under the UAE National training programme would previously complete their flight training overseas but can now complete 100% of their training in Dubai. For international cadets, the Academy will begin intakes in early 2018 and information on entry requirements, eligibility and intake dates will be announced at www.emiratesflighttrainingacademy.com

Emirates Virtual Windows

Author: Adrian Mahovics

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