Facilities

The heart of IFR training is the avionics. JetPro flight training uses the Garmin G1000 NXi throughout its training including the procedures trainer and aircraft.

Procedures Trainer

• Simulator time and aircraft time are expensive. To maximize the value of those resources a procedures trainer can be used to learn the use of the avionics as well as the aircraft operation before stepping into the aircraft.
• JetPro has purchased a desktop training device (Aviatek G1000 Desktop Trainer) that focuses exclusively on the Garmin 1000 NXi. This device is used with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. While no flight credits can be gained with this device, learning how to use the avionics in this environment saves time and money when progressing to more advanced training.

Aircraft

• JetPro uses a state-of-the-art, new Diamond DA62 aircraft. It’s little brother, the DA42, is a popular multi-engine, IFR training aircraft. The DA62 offers a number of features that make it attractive for this training:
• Safety: The Diamond aircraft fleet has the best safety record of all general aviation aircraft. Period.
• An aircraft without overly complex systems
• Large wingspan - making it a very stable IFR platform
• Garmin G1000NXi avionics
• Single lever throttle control allowing one to focus on flying the aircraft not managing the engines.
• Roomy flightdeck
• Lots of room for observer in the rear seat
• Bluetooth connectivity to the observer to follow along
• Fast transit times - allowing approaches and departures to more airports
• Real engine shutdowns are easily demonstrated
• Datalogging flights for post flight debriefing

• JetPro uses advanced technology to enrichen the training experience to produce a better trained and safer multi-engine/instrument rated pilot. Some of these innovations are:
• Aviatek Procedures Trainer (as described earlier)
• ICARUS - This device allows the instructor to simulate obscured visibility providing a more realistic training experience. This is what would be experienced in real world instrument flying.
• The Garmin G1000 NXi data logs a variety of parameters during the course of a flight; this data can then be used to debrief flights to understand how future performance can be improved. The following demonstrates this capability on a recent flight from High River, Alberta (CEN4) to our base, CFB6:

Location

JetPro is based at the Edmonton/Josephburg Airport (CFB6), five minutes from Fort Saskatchewan and twenty-five minutes from Edmonton.

Josephburg offers several unique advantages:

• Uncontrolled aerodrome – few ATC restrictions and the opportunity to practice radio procedures at an uncontrolled aerodrome.
• Proximity to controlled airspace – training can be done in controlled airspace when desired as CFB6 is located on the edge of the Edmonton terminal area.
• Nearby ILS at Edmonton/Villeneuve (CZVL)
• Training areas nearby – no need to transit to a training area as it begins within minutes after take-off.
• Instrument approaches – CFB6 has RNAV approaches so no transit is required.
• Nearby airports with instrument approaches – many airports located near CFB6 have instrument approaches with minimal transit time. Practicing approaches, missed approaches and departures at a variety of airports adds value compared to never leaving the local area. With the DA62’s relatively fast transit speed, this can be done efficiently.

Instructor

The primary instructor is Ed McDonald. Ed began his instructional experience many years ago with the RCAF as a CT-114 Tutor Jet instructor, achieving an A2 instructional category with almost 800 hours of military jet instructional experience and over 300 hours of simulator instructing experience.

Since then, Ed completed a 32-year airline career retiring as a Boeing 787 Captain with endorsements on the Boeing 737-200, Boeing 767, Boeing 777 and Airbus A340/330.

Ed formed JetPro and has been actively involved in instrument flight procedure design across Canada as a qualified procedure designer.

All of these unique experiences provide a unique set of skills in flight instruction, airline and aircraft operations and instrument procedure creation.

The Program

The multi-engine program only is approximately nine hours of flying whereas the multi-IFR program is approximately thirteen hours of flying plus ground briefings. Time will vary between students.

The training is structured for a single student; however, we can accomodate two students simultaneously - with the additional student observing the instruction.

• Double the experience for the same cost
• Two students at time allowing for continuous training and reduced time frame and hours (dollars) to complete the training

JetPro flight training program is unique in may ways. This includes:

• Detailed explanation of the construction of instrument flight procedures from qualified and experienced procedure designers. To many, instrument flight procedures are a mystery in how they are created. This mystery is revealed in the ground school portion of the program where the instrument flight procedure design is explained in conjunction with the lessons about the instrument procedures themselves and the charting.

• The Diamond 62 has an airline-like Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA). This is one of the most critical displays on the instrument panel and a source of many errors both in training and on the flight line. With an airline like training program, bad habits will be avoided through the proper training and use of the FMA.