Canadian simulator and training giant CAE has inaugurated a new facility in Savannah, Georgia, which will be dedicated to the training of Gulfstream executive jet pilots and technicians.
The new training center is located close to Gulfstream’s HQ and production facility, and it has the capacity for as many as four full-flight simulators (FFS).
The Savannah facility is the first executive aviation training center to be built exclusively for Gulfstream and CAE’s fifth in the United States, adding to those it already operates in New Jersey, Nevada, Texas and Florida. CAE also operates a sixth North American executive jet training center in its home city of Montreal.
The new center officially opened on June 20, 2024, but one simulator, that for Gulfstream G550 aircraft, has actually been in operation since January 2024.
A second simulator, for Gulfstream G280, is expected to become operational in July 2024.
CAE will also offer a maintenance training program for Gulfstream G280, G650, and G500/G600 jets. In this regard, CAE has been pioneering the use of virtual reality tools, which reduces the need for real aircraft to be available during the training.
Operators worldwide are currently stepping up efforts to train more pilots and technicians, as the industry is facing labor shortages. CAE expects that the executive jet industry will need 32,000 new pilots and 74,000 MRO technicians by the year 2032.