CAE Oxford
CAE Oxford, part of CAE Inc., is an ab initio flight training network. It provides integrated aviation training and resourcing services. Professional airline pilots have been trained at Oxford Aviation Academy flight school since 1961. OAA operates 125 training aircraft, 64 simulators and 10 training centres 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 7 type training centres offer approved airline pilot, cabin crew and maintenance engineer training on a wide range of aircraft types including  Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, BAE Systems and Embraer. Oxford Aviation Academy includes the former Oxford Aviation Training—a commercial pilot training school based at London Oxford Airport in the United Kingdom—and Mesa Falcon Field Airport (Arizona) in the United States; the former SAS Flight Academy, the former GECAT and the former BAE Systems Woodford, UK 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 Aviation  Safety Agency (CAA/EASA) course leading to the award of a 'Frozen' (becoming unfrozen when the candidate has completed 1500 hours in a multi-pilot environment) Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). History. Oxford Flying Club was opened by the Mayor of Oxford in 1939. However, restrictions placed on civil aviation during World War II curtailed its activities and the airfield operated as RAF Kidlington for the duration of hostilities. The club reopened in 1947, renamed as 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 (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. Including the first ever Commercial Space Shuttle Pilot's Licence which was awarded  in 1989. The school changed its name to Oxford Aviation Training (OAT) in the 1990s. On 19 June 2007, OAT's parent company BBA Aviation sold OAT to GCAT Flight Academy (formerly General Electric Commercial Aviation Training, part of General Electric and SAS Flight Academy, part of Scandinavian Airlines System) for $63 million (£32 million). The deal was backed by GCAT Flight Academy's majority shareholder, STAR Capital Partners an independent venture capital 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  centre 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 Center 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, 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.