Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

German eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium has entered into a partnership with Lufthansa Aviation Training to develop a pilot sourcing and training program to qualify flight crew for its all-electric Lilium Jet. The first phase of the program consists of bespoke Lilium type rating training certification for qualified commercial pilots.

 


The project will use technologies, including mixed&nbsp;and&nbsp;virtual reality (MR/VR), and&nbsp;the agreement will open possibilities to recreate the program worldwide and generate a stable pipeline of qualified pilots to support the growth of the company and of the industry, Lilium said in a December 9 announcement.&nbsp;In the first phase of the program, all new pilots recruited by Lilium will already hold a commercial pilot's license.&nbsp;Lilium invited professional pilots interested in the prospect of flying for its service to contact the company at <a href="mailto:info@lilium.com">info@lilium.com</a>.&nbsp;

 


For its part, Lufthansa Aviation Training will provide expertise in&nbsp;the training and development of competencies needed in the new field of piloting, complementing Lilium’s expertise in eVTOLs and the regional air mobility service it hopes to build. Lilium bills the training program as the first of its kind and a significant milestone on its road to launch.&nbsp;

 


Lilium and Lufthansa Aviation Training, which is a subsidiary of Germany's largest airline,&nbsp;will also jointly work together with EASA and the FAA on certification.&nbsp;Lilium said it expects its five-seat eVTOL vehicle to begin commercial operations by 2025.

 


“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,” said Lilium COO Remo Gerber. “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.”

 


Lilium invited professional pilots interested in the prospect of flying for its service to contact the company at <a href="mailto:info@lilium.com">info@lilium.com</a>.&nbsp;

 


The training deal comes less than a month after Lilium said it will partner with Tavistock Development Company and the city of Orlando, Florida, to build a vertiport at the heart of the new residential community as part of the wider Aerotropolis business park, located adjacent to Orlando International Airport.

 


According to Lilium, the Lake Nona vertiport will become the first hub for a network that will provide flight connections for more than 20 million Floridians living within a radius of 185 miles. The company is working towards type certification on both sides of the Atlantic under EASA and FAA Part 23 rules.

 


According to a report by McKinsey, the urban air mobility sector will need to recruit as many as 60,000 pilots worldwide.

 


This story is from <a href="http://www.FutureFlight.aero">FutureFlight.aero</a>, a resource developed by&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;to provide objective, independent coverage and analysis of new aviation technology, including electric aircraft developments and advanced air mobility.

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