By receiving its first CAE flight simulator dedicated to the eVTOL S4, Joby Aviation has taken a decisive step towards the commercial entry into service of its electric air taxi. Much more than a simple teaching tool, simulation is now establishing itself as an industrial, regulatory and economic pillar of advanced air mobility, both in the United States and in the Middle East.
Simulation, the anchor for scaling up
Joby Aviation has officially taken delivery of the first of two full-flight simulators supplied by CAE for the training and certification of its eVTOL S4 pilots. This is a strategic milestone for the Californian company, which is preparing to launch commercial operations as early as 2026. In the emerging ecosystem of electric air taxis, simulation is no longer just a complement to real training, but is becoming an obligatory part of the process, required by the certification authorities and integrated into the industrial model from the outset.
This first device is a Level 7 Flight Training Device, a very high-fidelity simulator, albeit with a fixed base. Presented at the end of 2025 in Montreal, it was then dismantled and reassembled in a new 20,900 m² facility in Marina, California. The building was designed specifically to house this type of equipment, with a ceiling height of almost twelve metres, a sign of the central role given to simulation in Joby’s ramp-up.
A second essential simulator
However, this first FTD is only a first step. A second simulator, this time level C, i.e. a Full Flight Simulator mounted on actuators with motion feedback, is due to be delivered to Marina in the second half of the year. This will be a carbon copy of the first, enhanced with the physical dynamics essential to meet the most stringent Federal Aviation Administration requirements for commercial operations.
The coexistence of these two systems is a response to two regulatory constraints. On the one hand, the United States now requires massive use of qualified simulators for eVTOL pilot training, particularly for single-cockpit aircraft such as the S4. On the other hand, the Middle East, and in particular the United Arab Emirates, also require high standards of training before any commercial operating licence is granted. The level 7 simulator is thus explicitly required to support the planned launch of operations in Dubai.
Training pilots differently
Contrary to certain futuristic visions of « new pilots » from an entirely new sector, Joby is part of the continuity of traditional civil aviation. Pilots destined for the S4 will already need to hold a commercial licence and an instrument rating. What is new is the way in which these skills will be adapted to an electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing.
CAE simulators play a central role in this. Each pilot will have to complete around twenty-five hours of training on these devices before making his or her first solo flights on the aircraft. These flights will be made without passengers and without an instructor on board, a constraint directly linked to the single-control configuration of the S4. Simulation becomes a genuine safety tool, but also a means of reducing the number of hours needed on the real aircraft, with obvious gains in terms of cost and availability.
A new regulatory framework
This approach has been made possible by the rapid evolution of the US regulatory framework. The FAA has put in place a set of regulations specific to powered-lift aircraft, including an SFAR dedicated to licensing and operations, as well as the MOSAIC programme, which aims to modernise pilot certification and training. In this context, the use of Flight Simulation Training Devices has been widely extended, with official recognition of devices ranging from level 4 to 7 FTDs and level A to D full-flight simulators.
For the commercial powered-lift pilot certificate, a significant part of the captain’s time can now be spent in a Level C or higher simulator. For Part 135 operations, the FAA is gradually bringing eVTOL requirements into line with those of conventional commercial aviation, while introducing new equivalences, such as recognition of a Part 135 checkride instead of a separate practical test.
A major industrial and social challenge
With its two simulators, Joby estimates that it can train around 250 pilots a year. This figure should be set against an ambitious industrial target of up to 500 aircraft produced annually. Like the airline industry as a whole, the company is faced with a worldwide shortage of pilots and high training costs.
In response, Joby has developed its own academy, based on light sport aircraft built in-house. The aim is to reduce operating costs while instilling the company’s operational procedures and culture from the outset. The eVTOL model, based on short, urban flights, is also presented as a strong social argument, likely to attract pilots wishing to work close to where they live.
Simulation: the foundation of electric air mobility
Beyond the Joby case, the arrival of these simulators illustrates a fundamental trend in advanced air mobility. The convergence of product development, regulatory certification and the structuring of a robust training ecosystem. In this equation, simulation is a key lever for guaranteeing safety, containing costs and enabling the scale-up that is essential to the economic viability of electric air taxis. In Marina, California, Joby’s CAE simulators are not only preparing pilots, they are also trying to sketch out the contours of electric aviation as it seeks to move from prototype to commercial service.
Sources: Joby aviation, Autonomyglobal
