German start-up Volocopter partners with Canada’s CAE to train air taxi pilots

Volocopter, a German start-up backed by Intel and Daimler, has joined forces with Canadian simulator specialist CAE to develop and run a pilot training programme for air taxi operations.

The electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, partnership aims to develop the “pilot workforce of the future” and ensure “safe introduction of eVTOL operations globally” by using technology such as artificial intelligence, virtual and mixed reality and data analytics, the companies said.

We are committed to supporting Volocopter’s inspiring vision and we look forward to leading in the design of UAM pilot training

Nick Leontidis,
CAE's group president for civil aviation training solutions

“As we scale our UAM [Urban Air Mobility] services in cities around the world, specific pilot training and qualification for our Volocopters will be an important element,” Volocopter's chief executive Florian Reuter said.

UAM is an emerging part of the aviation industry focused on aerial connectivity in and around cities. Volocopter's family of electric aircraft is designed to relieve today’s heavy inner-city traffic that is powered by fossil fuels.

The company’s first commercial eVTOL aircraft, the VoloCity, is well into its certification programme with the EU Aviation Safety Agency and is positioned to launch its first services for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

A Volocopter aircraft pictured during a test flight in Dubai in 2017. Courtesy Volocopter

Founded in 2011, Volocopter conducted public test flights in Singapore in October 2019 and staged the world’s first autonomous eVTOL flight in Dubai in 2017. It is also developing a heavy-lift cargo variant known as the VoloDrone for use in the logistics space.

“We are committed to supporting Volocopter’s inspiring vision and we look forward to leading in the design of UAM pilot training ... that prioritises safety of operations through our data-driven solutions, world-class pilot training experience and long-standing relationships with civil aviation authorities across the globe," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's group president for civil aviation training solutions.

Expanding air mobility will create a need for about 60,000 pilots within the first decade of operation, according to CAE’s Advanced Air Mobility white paper published earlier this month.

The company has committed to expand its worldwide training network through an investment of about $40 million to meet Volocopter’s projected pilot demand in the early years of operation.

As part of the agreement, both companies will work closely to obtain regulatory approval for their pilot training programme.

Volocopter’s VoloCity electric aircraft.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Shahi

Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan

Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.

Favourite activities: Bungee jumping

Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay

%3Cp%3EFly%20with%20Etihad%20Airways%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20New%20York%E2%80%99s%20JFK.%20There's%2011%20flights%20a%20week%20and%20economy%20fares%20start%20at%20around%20Dh5%2C000.%3Cbr%3EStay%20at%20The%20Mark%20Hotel%20on%20the%20city%E2%80%99s%20Upper%20East%20Side.%20Overnight%20stays%20start%20from%20%241395%20per%20night.%3Cbr%3EVisit%20NYC%20Go%2C%20the%20official%20destination%20resource%20for%20New%20York%20City%20for%20all%20the%20latest%20events%2C%20activites%20and%20openings.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg