A flight school in Europe, 100% owned by Airbus, has acquired the first of eight fuel efficient Elixir training aircraft.
Airbus Flight Academy Europe, in Angoulême, south-west France, sought the new aircraft as part of its sustainable development strategy.
The planes come equipped with a cockpit specially designed for the Airbus Flight Academy, including two Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS), in order to prepare cadet pilots for the technologies in the most advanced commercial aircraft available.
Jean Longobardi, Airbus Flight Academy Europe CEO & President, said: “We are delighted to announce that, following the delivery of our very first Elixir aircraft, our cadets will now be flying this quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft during the first flight phases of their training. This is a first step towards the gradual modernization of the training fleet to reduce the environmental impact of our academy.”
The Airbus Flight Academy Europe was originally established in 2009 to provide training facilities and services to support the initial, basic and advanced training of civil and military pilots.
The flight school has since developed its own pilot training capabilities and has been delivering the Airbus Pilot Cadet Training since 2019.
How are recruits chosen?
The Airbus Pilot Cadet Training Program is open to high school graduates worldwide who are over 18 years old.
Candidates will undergo online and on-site screening tests before being eligible for training which will include 800+ hours of ground school, plus 200 hours of practical (flight and simulator) training.
Around 80 cadets are trained at the Airbus Flight Academy Europe every year.
Which aircraft are used for training?
Airbus Flight Academy Europe owns a fleet of Diamond DA42, Cirrus SR20, Grob 120 A-F and now four Elixir aircraft, all dedicated to cadet training.
In addition, Airbus Flight Academy Europe operates a fleet of two FNPT II qualified simulators across its training and commercial sites to offer the best training solutions to student pilots.