Stunt pilot and aerial coordinator Kevin LaRosa has coordinated flight scenes in many movies, the most recent and notable being Top Gun Maverick. Having liaised with the director and producer re the needs of the movie story prior to filming, he decided that the Embraer Phenom 300 would best fit the bill. He says that being able to train in the Phenom 300 simulator helped prepare for those incredible movie flying requirements.

The Phenom 300 was modified with a platform for a camera ship for filming, with cameras located beneath the nose and fuselage. LaRosa worked with the director and lead Tom Cruise to create the feeling of real flying that is seen throughout the film. They actually filmed some 800 hours to make the two hour movie.

The Phenom 300 was used to film the fighter jet sequences too, although LaRosa says they had to slow a little bit to maintain filming continuity. And he became the only non-forces pilot to be cleared for a flyby over the deck of the US Theodore Roosevelt, which was used for filming the movie.

Integral to his ability to work on the movies is his training, which is all undertaken at CAE facilities. He works with CAE veteran Domenic Di Iorio who is the global head of training, a captain and instructor of Phenom 300 flight operations and also an examiner. The sim is housed in a room-sized space at CAE's Burgess Hill facility that features a full Embraer 300 cockpit. Behind this are two further seats and a training console that can be used to simulate any number of situations and is controlled by instructors such as Di Iorio. LaRosa recreated similar flying to the canyon scenes and the aircraft carrier landing, making for an exciting ride.

The simulator is an excellent way for LaRosa to prepare for training and he values the opportunity to prepare for challenging flights. Safety is always a priority and the training is an invaluable part of the process.

Added in February and operational for training from March this year, this Phenom 300 sim is already working 24/7 to accommodate the training needs of crew flying the popular airframe and is used for initial and currency training.

It is operated as part of a joint venture between Embraer and CAE: Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS). This is their sim number nine and is certified by three authorities: the UK CAA; Transport Canada Civil Aviation; and EASA. FAA authorisation is expected within the next year.

ECTS also has Phenom 300 simulators in Dallas, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada.