News
Eclipse Aviation achieves Part 142 training certification

Jan. 29, 2008, Albuquerque, NM – Eclipse Aviation today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Eclipse's training provider, Higher Power Aviation (HPA), authorization to conduct Eclipse 500 Type Training under HPA's Part 142 Training Certificate.  The authorization increases Eclipse's training capacity and enables the company to type rate customers entirely in its certified Level D Full Motion simulator.  The milestone marks the FAA's final approval of Eclipse Aviation's training program.

During the Part 142 certification process, the FAA examined Eclipse's training curriculum and analyzed how Eclipse will use its advanced simulator to train and type rate customer pilots prior to an aircraft delivery.  The certification comes just two weeks after the FAA certified Eclipse's first flight simulator as a Level D Full Motion device.   

"Using a simulator for a customer's entire type rating means we no longer have to schedule training around aircraft availability or weather conditions," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation.  "We also will bring two additional Level D simulators online very soon and all will be operated about 20 hours per day, seven days a week.  This additional simulator capacity will enable us to move customers through our type rating program faster, and also allow the start of recurrent flight training for our customers who have been operating their Eclipse 500s for a year."

The first class of customer pilots began their flight training in the Level D simulator this week, with subsequent classes beginning every two weeks.  By April 2008, Eclipse Aviation expects to have three Level D Full Motion simulators in operation, which will allow the company to train and type rate 60 customers per month.

The certification was accomplished through a successful partnership between Eclipse Aviation and its joint venture training providers: HPA of Dallas, TX; OPINICUS of Lutz, FL; and Flight Simulation Company (FSC) of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.