The Simulators Have Arrived: Training Takes Centre Stage in eVTOL Race

The simulators have arrived!

On Jan 6, Joby Aviation accepted delivery of the first of two next-generation flight training devices developed with CAE, a Level 7 Flight Training Device, with a Level C Full Flight Simulator to follow. It's a significant milestone, the industry is now building the entire ecosystem required to operate the aircraft.

The question now facing the advanced air mobility sector is when eVTOLs will be certified and operational, and at what scale? Recent developments suggest the industry is shifting from demonstration to deployment, yet significant hurdles remain before electric air taxis become a routine part of urban transport infrastructure.

The Training Imperative

For the simulation and training community, Joby's simulator acceptance represents a critical inflection point. These devices, once fully qualified, will provide capacity to train up to 250 pilots annually for Part 135 operations in the United States. The challenge is timing: full qualification cannot occur until after aircraft type certification, when final aircraft data packages become available. 

The FAA's interim Level C qualification pathway offers some acceleration, demonstrated by the November qualification of Bell's 525 simulator ahead of helicopter certification, yet the timeline remains uncertain.

The question for training providers is: will simulator capacity scale quickly enough to support commercial operations, or will pilot qualification become the bottleneck that constrains market entry?

The Ab‑Initio Dilemma: Who Can Become an eVTOL Pilot?

A central challenge for training providers is uncertainty over pilot pathways for powered‑lift operations. Early eVTOL operators are likely to compete for experienced commercial pilots already in short supply, potentially driving up training costs and delaying deployment timelines.

The FAA has introduced a powered‑lift framework through Part 194 and SFAR 120 to enable initial operations, but it does not yet amount to a clear, dedicated ab‑initio “street‑to‑eVTOL‑only” licensing pathway. 

Instead, it sets out alternate certification and training provisions designed to stand up initial cohorts and integrate powered‑lift into existing operating and training rules - an approach that, in practice, favours experienced pilots transitioning from aeroplane or rotorcraft backgrounds. 

In Europe, EASA’s VTOL‑capable aircraft (VCA) work has focused heavily on airworthiness certification, while flight‑crew licensing detail continues to develop alongside existing Part‑FCL structures and type‑rating concepts as the Innovative Air Mobility regulatory picture evolves.

Implications for Training Providers
The practical result is that early operations will rely on experienced pilots transitioning onto powered‑lift types rather than training new pilots directly for eVTOL operations. This intensifies competition for qualified crew and increases both the time and cost of building the first operational workforce.

For training organisations, the decision is whether to invest now in conventional CPL/IR pipelines that can later feed powered‑lift transition training, or wait for more explicit ab‑initio pathways that may, or may not, emerge in the coming years.

Scaling the Challenge

Beyond the 250 pilots per year that Joby's simulators can support, what is the true global training capacity requirement for commercial eVTOL operations at scale? Will the FAA's Special Federal Aviation Regulation for Powered Lift, which allows increased use of Level C and higher simulators, prove sufficient, or will real aircraft flight hours remain the limiting factor?

The industry faces a classic chicken-and-egg problem: simulators cannot be fully qualified until aircraft are type certified, yet pilot training must be underway to support commercial launch. The interim approval pathway offers some relief, but coordination between manufacturers, training device developers, and regulators will be critical.

For the training and simulation sector, the question is whether eVTOL represents the next major growth opportunity or whether the industry's ambitious timelines will once again slip beyond the horizon.

Next in this series: Manufacturing momentum builds as Joby, Eve, and others move from prototype to production. Plus: Has China already won the race?