CAE Oxford, part of CAE Inc., is an ''

ab initio ( ) is a Latin term meaning "from the beginning" and is derived from the Latin ("from") + , ablative singular of ("beginning"). Etymology , from Latin, literally "from the beginning", from ablative case of "entrance", "beginning", related t ...

'' flight training network. It provides integrated aviation training and resourcing services. Professional airline pilots have been trained at the Oxford Aviation Academy (OAA) flight school since 1961. OAA operates 125 training aircraft, 64

flight simulator A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...

s, and 10 training centers, delivering a portfolio of aviation training courses. OAA's 3 ''ab initio'' airline pilot training schools have trained more than 26,000 professional pilots over the past 50 years. OAA's seven training centers offer approved airline pilot, cabin crew and maintenance engineer training on a wide range of aircraft types including

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...

, Bombardier,

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

, and

Embraer Embraer S.A. () is a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation. It develops and manufactures aircraft and aviation systems, and provides leasing, equipment, and technical support services. Embraer is the third largest producer of civil air ...

. The Oxford Aviation Academy includes the former Oxford Aviation Training, a commercial pilot training school based at London

Oxford Airport London Oxford Airport , formerly known as Kidlington Airport, is a privately owned airport located near Kidlington in Cherwell (district), Cherwell District, Oxfordshire, northwest by north of Oxford, from Central London. Despite its name th ...

in the United Kingdom; Falcon Field in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, United States; the former SAS Flight Academy; the former GECAT and the former BAE Systems Woodford, United Kingdom Training Centre, all of which are majority owned by STAR Capital Partners of London with a minority stake of less than 20% retained by GE Commercial Aviation Services. The Airline Pilot Programme First Officer course is a full-time, integrated Civil Aviation Authority / European Union Aviation Safety Agency (CAA/EASA) course leading to the award of a 'Frozen' (becoming unfrozen when the candidate has completed 1,500 hours in a multi-pilot environment) airline transport pilot licence (ATPL).

History

The Oxford Flying Club was opened by the mayor of

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

in 1939. However, restrictions placed on

civil aviation Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, which can be both private and commercial. Most countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and ...

during the Second World War curtailed its activities, and the airfield operated as RAF Kidlington for the duration of hostilities. The club reopened in 1947, renamed to the Oxford Aeroplane Club. During the 1950s, it gradually increased its fleet and, by 1960, had become a flying school geared to the training of professional pilots. In 1961, the flying school's parent company, Oxford Aviation, merged with the Pressed Steel Company to become British Executive Air Services Ltd. (BEAS). Dedicated ground school buildings and student residential accommodation were provided on site, and the first fully integrated Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) and

instrument rating Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR). It requires specific training and instruction beyond what is required for a private pilot certificate or commercial pilot c ...

(IR) courses began in May 1962. In 1963, the BEAS Flying Training Division was renamed Oxford Air Training School. Since then, over twenty thousand trained commercial pilots and aircraft engineers have graduated from the school. The school changed its name to Oxford Aviation Training (OAT) in the 1990s. On June 19, 2007, OAT's parent company, BBA Aviation, now Signature Aviation, sold OAT to GCAT Flight Academy (formerly General Electric Commercial Aviation Training, part of

GE Aviation General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, is an American aircraft engine supplier that is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. It is the legal successor to the original General Electric Company founded in 1892, wh ...

and SAS Flight Academy, part of

Scandinavian Airlines System The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), commonly known as Scandinavian Airlines, is the Flag carrier, national airline of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is part of SAS Group and is headquartered in Solna Municipality, Solna, Sweden. Including ...

) for $63 million (£32 million). The deal was backed by GCAT Flight Academy's majority shareholder, STAR Capital Partners, an independent

venture capital Venture capital (VC) is a form of private equity financing provided by firms or funds to start-up company, startup, early-stage, and emerging companies, that have been deemed to have high growth potential or that have demonstrated high growth in ...

fund. In early February 2008, GCAT Flight Academy changed its registered name to Oxford Aviation Academy Ltd. OAT's branding and logo adorning the training center at Oxford and Goodyear Airports were replaced, with the new logo bearing the title 'Oxford Aviation Academy'. The insignia on the tailplanes of its Piper PA-28 Warrior and Piper PA-34 Seneca aircraft were also replaced with the new logo design. The new logo also appeared at the 8 locations formerly named GCAT Flight Academy, including those in Scandinavia and Hong Kong that GCAT purchased from SAS Flight Academy and the Woodford Training Centre, purchased from BAE Systems. These changes were a result of both GCAT Flight Academy and Oxford Aviation Training being re-branded as Oxford Aviation Academy. In 2008, OAA acquired General Flying Services, based in Moorabbin Airport, Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia. In 2020, it was announced that CAE Oxford would close all ground training in early 2021 and move to a new location at CAE Gatwick, ending a legacy of over 50 years.

Fleet

The fleet includes the following:

Gallery

References

External links

Official website
{{Coord, 51.8336, -1.3144, region:GB_type:airport, display=title Aviation schools in the United Kingdom Education in Oxfordshire Educational organizations established in 1961 1961 establishments in England Kidlington

History

Fleet

Gallery

See also

References

External links