FlightSafety selected to train Falcon 10X crews
FlightSafety International, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned aviation training company and one of the world’s largest providers of simulation-based flight training, was selected to develop and deliver type rating and recurrent training programs for pilots of the Dassault Falcon 10X — the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft the French manufacturer has ever built. The selection positions FlightSafety as a key partner in the Falcon 10X’s entry into service, which Dassault targets for 2025 following first flight in 2023.
FlightSafety will develop full-flight simulators (FFS) for the Falcon 10X at its Learning Centers, with simulator locations to be determined based on anticipated customer demand geography. The Falcon 10X attracts a global customer base — Middle East sovereign operators, European family offices, North American corporations, and Asia-Pacific conglomerates — requiring training infrastructure accessible from multiple regions. FlightSafety’s network of 40+ Learning Centers worldwide, including major facilities in Paris, London, Dallas, and Singapore, provides the geographic coverage that Dassault’s customer base demands.
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The Falcon 10X: Dassault’s Largest Aircraft Ever
The Falcon 10X represents a significant departure for Dassault Aviation, a company traditionally known for medium-to-large cabin jets like the Falcon 7X, 8X, and 900 series. The 10X is ultra-long-range — with a published range of 7,500 nautical miles — and features the widest cabin Dassault has ever produced: 9.1 feet wide and 6.6 feet tall, dimensions that exceed even the Gulfstream G700 and Bombardier Global 7500 in width. The cabin floor-to-ceiling height, combined with the flat floor design, creates an interior volume that Dassault believes is genuinely differentiated from competing aircraft.
The 10X is powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines — a new variant developed specifically for the aircraft and producing approximately 18,000 lbs of thrust each. Dassault selected Rolls-Royce after a competitive engine selection process that was one of the most significant industrial decisions in the program’s development. The Pearl 10X shares technology with the Pearl 700 used on the Gulfstream G700, reflecting the commonality strategy Rolls-Royce has pursued across its business aviation engine family.
FlightSafety’s Training Development Process
Developing a full-flight simulator for a new aircraft type is a multi-year program that must proceed in parallel with aircraft development rather than waiting for certification. FlightSafety’s engineering teams work with Dassault’s design organization to receive aerodynamic data, systems architecture documentation, and flight test data that inform the simulator’s mathematical model — the core of what makes an FFS feel like the real aircraft rather than an approximation.
FAA and EASA Level D qualification — the highest level of simulator certification, required for zero-flight-time type rating training — demands that the simulator replicate the aircraft’s handling qualities within very tight tolerances across the entire flight envelope. Achieving Level D qualification typically requires extensive validation flying in the actual aircraft alongside simulator runs, with instrumentation comparing simulator response to aircraft response in real time. The process from initial simulator engineering to Level D qualification typically takes 18–24 months after the aircraft receives type certification.
Why Training Partnership Selection Matters to Customers
For operators purchasing ultra-long-range aircraft like the Falcon 10X, the training infrastructure available for their crews is a genuine operational consideration, not an afterthought. Pilots must complete initial type rating training before flying the aircraft and recurrent training — typically every six months for commercial operators, annually for Part 91 owner-flown operations — throughout the aircraft’s service life. Training availability, simulator quality, and the geographic accessibility of training centers affect crew scheduling, operational readiness, and regulatory compliance.
FlightSafety’s selection over competing training providers including CAE and Simulator Training (a Dassault-owned entity) reflects a relationship with deep roots — FlightSafety has provided training for multiple Falcon types and has established procedures and instructional staff with extensive Dassault type knowledge. The continuity of training provider across an operator’s fleet, where pilots may hold type ratings in multiple Falcon variants, reduces training friction and institutional knowledge gaps.
The Ultra-Long-Range Training Market
The ultra-long-range jet segment — where the Falcon 10X competes against the Gulfstream G700, Bombardier Global 7500, and eventually the Global 8000 — is the most demanding training environment in business aviation. Pilots of these aircraft must be current in all-weather, oceanic, RVSM, and RNP operations; they regularly fly routes that cross multiple FIRs, require ETOPS approvals (or the equivalent for international operations), and demand proficiency in abnormal and emergency procedures for systems of considerable complexity.
The training economics for this segment are significant. A single type rating course for a Falcon 10X crew pair will cost $30,000–50,000 or more, and semi-annual recurrent training for a two-pilot crew adds $20,000–30,000 per year per crew to operational costs. Over a 10-year aircraft ownership cycle, training costs for a typical two-pilot operation easily exceed $500,000 — a cost that operators factor into total cost of ownership models when comparing aircraft in the segment.
