Joby Aviation has received the first of two advanced flight simulators from CAE, marking a major milestone in its preparation for launching commercial air taxi services. Developed over a multi-year partnership that began in 2022, these simulators are designed to meet the FAA’s highest qualification levels and are critical for certifying both the aircraft and its future pilots.
The first unit, a Level 7 fixed-base training device, is now being installed at Joby’s facility in Marina, California. A second, more advanced Level C full-motion simulator will follow later this year. Once operational, this pair will form the core of Joby’s pilot training program, with the capacity to train up to 250 pilots annually.
These simulators are engineered as digital twins of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft, providing an ultra-realistic training environment essential for single-pilot operations in complex urban settings. They feature a massive 300-by-130-degree field of view, powered by CAE’s Prodigy Image Generator, which uses Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to create highly detailed, dynamic 3D cityscapes. The systems also replicate authentic flight conditions through precise audio, turbulence, and vibration cues, including the tricky wind effects around buildings.
“These simulators are central to the FAA certification process and will ensure our pilots are prepared for the unique demands of high-volume urban operations,” said Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby. The development process involved rigorous testing across multiple Joby facilities, using simulated and real hardware to perfectly replicate flight physics and human factors.
For CAE, a leader in aviation training, this project represents a new benchmark for the emerging urban air mobility sector. “We are leveraging decades of simulation expertise to help Joby establish a safe, scalable pilot training infrastructure for sustainable air transportation,” said Alexandre Prévost, President of Civil Aviation at CAE.
With its first commercial flights targeted for this year, Joby’s deployment of this cutting-edge simulation technology is a decisive step toward making electric air taxi service a reality.
