Video offers a peek inside United Airlines’ flight school in Arizona, from the dorms to the pool

It’s not quite worthy of a Tom Cruise movie, but fascinating nonetheless.

A new video reveals the impressive facilities at United Airlines’ recently opened flight training school at Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear, Arizona.

It’s called the United Aviate Academy and boasts a fleet of 25 Cirrus SR-20 series single-engine training planes, dormitories for trainee pilots, two swimming pools, and a volleyball court.

A fascinating video reveals the impressive facilities at the United Aviate Academy at Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Arizona

Cue Belinda Carlisle: Inside one of the dorm rooms at the flight school, which opened earlier this year

Cue Belinda Carlisle: Inside one of the dorm rooms at the flight school, which opened earlier this year 

Above is one of two pools in the school's recreation area

Above is one of two pools in the school’s recreation area

The sneak-peek video tour begins at the entrance of the 340,000-sq-ft (31,587-sq-m) facility, tunnelling through the administration lobby into the ‘technology equipped’ classrooms, where budding pilots learn their craft in an ‘intensive curriculum’. 

Next stop is the academy’s fleet – United plans to add 25 more ‘state-of-the art’ Cirrus Trac SR-20 training aircraft to the academy’s current fleet of 25. 

The flight training school also recently purchased seven Frasca flight simulators, which feature ‘hardware and software’ that ‘operates exactly like the aircraft’.

Before taking us inside the aeroplane hangars, the video notes that the climate in Arizona offers ‘favourable weather for year-round flight training’.

The video begins at the entrance, tunnelling through the administration lobby into the ‘technology equipped’ classrooms (above)

The video begins at the entrance, tunnelling through the administration lobby into the ‘technology equipped’ classrooms (above) 

United plans to add 25 ‘state-of-the art’ Cirrus Trac SR-20 training aircraft to the academy’s current fleet of 25 (above)

United plans to add 25 ‘state-of-the art’ Cirrus Trac SR-20 training aircraft to the academy’s current fleet of 25 (above)

One of the aeroplane hangars. The video notes that the climate in Arizona offers ‘favorable weather for year-round flight training'

One of the aeroplane hangars. The video notes that the climate in Arizona offers ‘favorable weather for year-round flight training’

The student lounge is the next destination, with the video showing two trainee pilots playing snooker in one room, and two more relaxing on sofas in another.

Next, it heads inside a rather plain dorm room – which has a single bed and a shot of a desert landscape on the wall – in one of the school’s three dormitories.

Moving outdoors to the ‘recreation area’, aspiring pilots can be seen milling about one of the pools, while others play volleyball on the sandy court.

Other features at the school – which don’t appear in the video – include a cafeteria, tennis and basketball courts, and a fitness room. 

The video shows two trainee pilots playing pool in the 'student lounge'

The video shows two trainee pilots playing pool in the ‘student lounge’ 

Aspiring pilots can be seen playing volleyball on the sandy court in the recreation area

Aspiring pilots can be seen playing volleyball on the sandy court in the recreation area 

United Aviate Academy, which currently has around 125 students, has received more than 12,000 applications since it announced the opening of the school in April 2021.

The training programme takes around a year, and after completion, students can go on to ‘build flight and leadership experience’ while ‘working at partner universities, professional flight training organizations and United Express carriers on their way to becoming United pilots’.

United currently has about 12,000 pilots, and it plans to hire at least 10,000 new pilots by 2030. 

United Aviate Academy received more than 12,000 applications in the past year

United Aviate Academy received more than 12,000 applications in the past year

The training programme takes around a year. If students climb their way up the ladder in the airline, they can make serious money - captains of United's Boeing 787s and 777s can earn more than £293,000 ($350,000) per year

The training programme takes around a year. If students climb their way up the ladder in the airline, they can make serious money – captains of United’s Boeing 787s and 777s can earn more than £293,000 ($350,000) per year

These students could make serious money if they make it to the top – captains of United’s Boeing 787s and 777s can earn more than £293,000 ($350,000) per year.

Headquartered in Chicago, United is the second-biggest airline in America by fleet size, behind American Airlines, with 1,391 aircraft to its name at the end of last year.

For more information, visit unitedaviate.com.

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