CAE has entered into a new relationship with Starr Insurance Companies for a first of its kind programme that combines a rigorous training regimen and insurance for single-pilot jet owners. The programme will increase insurability and ensure the highest safety standards for single-pilot turbojet owners and operators who are not professional pilots.

“Insurance rates continue to rise and are sometimes unattainable for operators of single-pilot aircraft who don't have the experience of career pilots,” says Nick Leontidis, CAE's group president civil aviation training solutions. “We are thrilled to offer this innovative programme with Starr Insurance, which makes insurance coverage more accessible for pilots by providing them with comprehensive safety training.”

Developed by CAE, the single-pilot mentorship programme is an 18-month training cycle consisting of scenario-based simulator training, flight training data monitoring with CAE Rise, in-aircraft mentoring and upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT). Participants learn in classroom simulators and on aircraft through mentoring sessions facilitated by specially trained and highly experienced instructors, as defined in the programme.

“Aircraft owner pilots of single pilot jet aircraft are a particularly difficult class to insure,” says Kyle Sparks, senior vice president and chief underwriting office of Starr Aviation. “These are complicated machines to fly, even for professional career pilots. CAE's rigorous professional flight training regimen will help owner pilots fly safer, and the extensive flight behaviour data we'll get from the programme will ensure more accurate insurance underwriting. This initiative will help many of these owners secure the insurance coverage they need for their expensive aircraft.”

Programme trainees are provided with an in-depth understanding of the tools used by professional pilots to increase safety before, during and after flight, including safety management system fundamentals like a flight risk assessment tool and practical threat and error management philosophy. Offering the most convenient way to assure peace-of-mind for single-pilot owners and operators, an emphasis is placed on mitigating the risk of loss of control in flight (LOC-I), enabling trainees to learn how to increase recognition, improve prevention and develop appropriate recovery skills through proper training.

The single-pilot mentorship programme leverages CAE's superior training and technology that have earned the confidence of original equipment manufacturers. Upon programme completion, participants will have the knowledge, ability and confidence to seamlessly transition into complex single-pilot airframes and have the skills required to mitigate risk.