Eclipse 500 customers can learn how to fly their shiny new jets without even leaving the ground. Eclipse announced Tuesday that its training provider Higher Power Aviation has received FAA approval to grant type ratings under its Part 142 training certificate and that the entire curriculum will be carried out on the full-motion simulator that was approved a couple of weeks ago. “Using a simulator for a customer’s entire type rating means we no longer have to schedule training around aircraft availability or weather conditions,” said CEO Vern Raburn. For those who would prefer to actually fly an airplane to get their type ratings, Sabena Airline Training Academy, of Mesa, Ariz., will start taking students in March. Sabena will offer three-week courses with two to four future Eclipse pilots taking the course at a time. In June, the company will get a second Eclipse and double the intake rate. Sabena is the first third-party training provider approved by the FAA to issue type ratings. Its regular business is ab initio-to-first officer training for European and Indian airlines. Sabenas Eclipses will be doing double duty. Theyll also be used for jet familiarization in the airline curriculum.
Eclipse Type Rating Options
Key Takeaways:
- Eclipse 500 customers can now obtain their type ratings entirely via a full-motion simulator through Higher Power Aviation, following FAA approval.
- For those preferring actual flight, Sabena Airline Training Academy in Mesa, AZ, is the first FAA-approved third-party provider to offer in-aircraft type rating courses, starting in March.
- Sabena will also utilize its Eclipse aircraft for jet familiarization in its airline training curriculum and plans to double its training capacity by June.
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