The German air taxi developer Lilium has announced a partnership with Lufthansa Aviation Training to source and train pilots for its eVTOL Lilium Jet.
Under the first phase of the program, the partners — both headquartered near Munich, Germany — will collaborate on creation of a Lilium type rating training course for qualified commercial pilots. The training will leverage technologies including mixed and virtual reality (MR/VR), facilitating worldwide deployment of the course.
As a leading European airline training organization, Lufthansa Aviation Training has extensive experience in developing pilot competencies. Lilium said this will complement its own expertise in the design of its novel aircraft, which is radically different from the helicopters and airplanes flying today. The companies plan to also work together with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Federal Aviation Administration on relevant certification requirements.
“Opening a new professional segment for pilots of the future is a challenge we have long been excited to undertake and Lufthansa Aviation Training is the perfect partner,” stated Lilium chief operating officer Remo Gerber in a press release. “Their insights, experience and dedication to forward-thinking training concepts ensure that our pilots will be selected and trained to the highest caliber, an industry standard which we will establish through this partnership.”
The agreement continues Lilium’s efforts to establish a broader ecosystem to support the launch of its regional air mobility service. Last month, the company announced plans for a passenger eVTOL vertiport in Orlando, Florida, and Lilium is also collaborating with Düsseldorf Airport and Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany to explore how the airports can become hubs in a regional air mobility network spanning North Rhine-Westphalia.
However, little has been seen of the Lilium Jet itself since the first prototype was substantially damaged in a ground fire in February 2020. Although a second demonstrator was not affected by the fire, Lilium did not respond directly when asked by eVTOL.com whether that aircraft has flown this year.
Despite this setback and the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19, Lilium remains publicly committed to launching its regional air mobility service in multiple regions around the world by 2025.
It would be great if eVTOL.com could do an article on the routes to becoming a Lilium pilot. For instance, if you have no piloting experience, have done a basic course, or are a licensed pilot.
I’m completely agreeing