The flight school training fighter pilots at Jack Garland Airport in North Bay has received formal accreditation for training of NATO pilots. “ITPS Canada Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, the International Test Pilots School and the International Tactical Training Centre, has achieved accreditation under NATO Flight Training Europe following a comprehensive evaluation of its training capabilities and operating environment,” ITPS said in a news release Aug. 28. “The accreditation marks an important milestone for ITPS Canada, providing independent recognition of the standards underpinning its international aerospace training operations.” Pilot training moved to North Bay in July from London. ITPS also announced it is buying six training aircraft -- Leonardo M-346 advanced jet trainers – for use in North Bay. NATO Flight Training Europe The company said that NATO Flight Training Europe is a multinational initiative designed to provide NATO nations with access to a network of high-quality military aviation training capabilities. “ITPS Canada’s accreditation places the organization within the NFTE framework and provides participating NATO air forces with a more direct mechanism to access accredited training delivered by ITPS and ITTC, spanning specialist flight test and aerospace training as well as advanced military flying and tactical training,” the release said. “This accreditation reflects how ITPS Canada has continued to grow while remaining focused on the standards and capabilities that have earned the trust of customers around the world,” Giorgio Clementi, ITPS executive chairman, said in the release. “We have continued to invest in our people, aircraft, simulation, infrastructure, and training methodologies to meet increasingly complex requirements.” Work done in North Bay “provides advanced military flying and tactical training for fighter aircrew preparing for increasingly complex operational environments,” the company said. “Together, these capabilities represent a growing Canadian sovereign pilot training capability, expanding the capacity available within Canada to support domestic, NATO and Allied air force requirements.”
