Virtual Reality Training Gains FAA Approval

On March 31, 2025, Envoy Air Inc. received FAA approval for a revision to its Embraer 175/170 Advanced Qualification Program (AQP), inclusive of the Cole Engineering Services, Inc. (CESI) Commercial Aviation Augmented Reality Toolkit (CAART) immersive environment training capability.

Achieving an industry-first milestone, Envoy and CESI have gained FAA approval to use VR training as part of Envoy’s E175/170 AQP.

An Embraer 175/170 virtual flight deck is used to enhance Envoy’s pilot and aircraft maintenance training programs, and includes items such as checking of aircraft pre-flight, flight deck flows and checklists and more. The incorporation of the VR procedural training into the company’s flight and maintenance training programs provides a realistic, dynamic virtual environment for pilots and mechanics, delivered at the point of need from either a web browser while off-campus, or from a dedicated Virtual Reality lab while on-campus at Envoy’s headquarters and training center in Irving, Texas.

CESI further supports Envoy’s continuous training improvement and effectiveness initiatives through use of CAART’s system data collection and performance metrics.