CAE Names 15th Women in Flight Ambassador

CAE has named Elle Betchley as the fifteenth CAE Women in Flight Ambassador. She joins a growing movement and network of female pilot professionals in raising awareness of the possibilities for women in the aviation sector. CAE launched the CAE Women in Flight program in 2018 to encourage women to pursue a career in aviation. It has quickly evolved to become the CAE Women in Flight Ambassador Program which aims to encourage girls and women to dream big and have no limits, raising awareness of the opportunities for women to follow professional pilot careers.

Betchley is currently participating in the CAE Generation easyJet Pilot Training Program designed by CAE exclusively for easyJet. The competency-based program includes aircraft-type-specific training on CAE’s Airbus A320 Flight Training Devices (FTD) and Full Flight Simulators (FFS) and is subsequently complemented by base and line training with easyJet. Upon successfully completing the program, Betchley will join the airline as a co-pilot on the Airbus A320.

CAE will train up to 200 easyJet pilots annually through 2028. As a CAE Women in Flight Ambassador, Betchley receives a full scholarship worth more than €100,000 to complete her training. Betchley has just completed her ground training at CAE’s London Gatwick training centre and is about to start her foundation flight training in tandem with her CAE Women in Flight Ambassador role. As an ambassador, her responsibilities include encouraging women to pursue an aviation career. The program aims to achieve much more than supporting future female pilots. It is also focused on developing a network of like-minded ambassadors and professionals who illustrate that diversity in aviation should be the norm, not the exception.

“We have established a reputation for delivering the highest standards of pilot training, and we recognize that it is our responsibility as an industry leader to support the advancement of women in aviation and broaden the civil aviation talent pool,” explains Marie-Christine Cloutier, CAE’s Vice-President, Strategy, Performance, and Marketing - Civil. “Women make up only between four and six percent of professional pilots worldwide, and as CAE’s 2023 aviation talent forecast shows that some 300,000 new pilots are needed by 2032, we want to help attract more women to join the profession. Through shining role models like Elle, we believe we can truly influence the next generation.”

Initially trained as an agronomist, Betchley has pursued a career in agriculture for the last seven years. She has always admired pilots but never considered herself a candidate. Her inspiration came from her husband, who also took the CAE Generation easyJet Pilot Training Program, but she now wants to do so much more than fly. “I wanted to become a CAE Women in Flight Ambassador from the day I applied for the pilot training at CAE. This is not just about inspiring women; it’s about changing how people think. Being a CAE Women in Flight Ambassador will allow me to show young women what is achievable and shape the future of the aviation industry’s workforce,” says Betchley.

Selection of the Women in Flight Ambassador is a rigorous process that requires multi-layered applications, written tests, video interviews, with input from Women in Aviation International, and the airline. Betchley hopes to lead the way for more female recruits.