Horizon Aircraft sets out training plans for Cavorite X7 VTOL

Horizon Aircraft has given an early look at how pilots will be trained to fly its Cavorite X7, a hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

The Canadian developer said on 29 September that it had signed a letter of intent with Great Lakes Helicopter, an Ontario-based operator, which will help run pilot training programmes for future X7 operators. Horizon did not say how that training would be structured at the time.

Asked for detail, the company said the syllabus is still being finalised and will be "very traditional in nature". It will begin with computer-based training covering aircraft systems, followed by a broader computer program that moves from conventional take-off and landing into transition and VTOL flight regimes, Horizon said.

A traditional type-rating programme would then follow, focused on VTOL and transition flight, and tailored to whether the owner holds a fixed-wing or rotary-wing commercial licence.

Great Lakes will also provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the X7. The operator separately disclosed a tentative commitment for an undisclosed number of Cavorite aircraft.

Horizon chief executive Brandon Robinson described the agreement as a vital step towards building the ecosystem needed to support the Cavorite X7 and its future customers.

Certification and entry into service for the aircraft are expected in the early 2030s, according to the company.