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CAE launches cadet pilot program with Seneca and Jazz


November 21, 2019  By Wings Staff

Through the Jazz Approach program, CAE will provide successful cadets with a CRJ200 type rating at CAE Toronto. (Photo: Jazz, CAE)

CAE, Jazz Aviation and Seneca College have teamed up to develop a cadet pilot training program called Jazz Approach. Cadets will receive a letter of employment from Jazz upon selection into the program, allowing for a direct path to join the airline as first officers conditional upon successful completion of the program.

The parties involved in the program have signed a five-year partnership agreement with the first cohort of approximately six student set to begin training in April 2020.

“CAE creates over 1,500 new pilots yearly over 30 cadet training programs globally, and we are thrilled to add a first Canadian cadet pilot training program to our list of curricula,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. “The demand for pilots has never been so high. With over 300,000 pilots needed globally over the next decade, CAE is working closely with airlines around the world to come up with pilot creation solutions.”

Leontidis continues to describe Jazz Approach program as a one-of-a-kind program. It embeds Jazz Aviation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Threat and Error Management strategies. Under the terms of this program, CAE will conduct recruitment, assessment and selection of the cadets according to Jazz’s defined criteria.

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Selected cadets will undergo the integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) training over 18 months at Seneca’s School of Aviation in Peterborough, Ontario. Following completion, CAE will provide successful cadets with a CRJ200 type rating at CAE Toronto.

Upon successful completion of the training program and subject to certain conditions, the first graduates will join Jazz Aviation as first officers by the end of 2021. Applications for the Jazz Approach training program will open on December 1, 2019. Jazz Aviation’s pilots have been training in CAE’s network in Canada since 2003.

“We are very excited to partner with two exceptional Canadian organizations, CAE and Seneca, to introduce the Jazz Approach program,” said Captain Steve Linthwaite, vice president, flight operations, Jazz Aviation. “For Jazz, this innovative initiative will be an expansion of our Jazz Aviation Pathways Program and provides yet another avenue for future generations of pilots to launch their careers in aviation.

Linthwaite continues to explain the roots of the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program (Jazz APP) program goes back to 2007, describing the addition of Jazz Approach as an important step in growing the program to yet another level. “We have worked with both CAE and Seneca for many years and we are delighted to have the opportunity to join together to introduce this program in Canada.”

Lynne McMullen, director of strategic partnerships with Seneca’s School of Aviation describes the Jazz Approach program as another opportunity for Seneca to be on the forefront of flight training in Canada. “We are thrilled to be partnering with CAE and Jazz Aviation through this innovative all-Canadian collaboration. The Jazz Approach program builds on the success of our partnership with Jazz Aviation and will be an excellent addition to the suite of academic and hands-on training offered within our School of Aviation,” she said.

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