Sinclair Community College buys a Beta CTOL and flight simulator
Dayton-based Sinclair Community College has purchased one of Beta’s Alia CTOL aircraft as well as a state-of-the-art flight simulator.
With the acquisition of the Alia CTOL and flight simulator, Sinclair will, with input from BETA, create a framework for students to earn familiarisation training and credentials in electric aviation and conduct research and development in autonomous technologies.
“The recent purchase of a BETA flight simulator and BETA aircraft by Sinclair Community College is another great step toward advancing Dayton’s role as the future of flight,” said Congressman Mike Turner. “These systems will enable more students to gain critical training and education in Advanced Air Mobility programmes which is essential for integration into the National Airspace System.”
After the acquisition, Sinclair will integrate the Alia CTOL and flight simulator into its National UAS Training and Certification Centre’s workforce training, research and commercialisation activities.
The student training programme will be developed with input from Beta Technologies which is creating a formal training programme for customers like UPS, Air New Zealand and United Therapeutics.
Both the aircraft and flight simulator will be housed at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, leveraging Sinclair’s presence in the National Advanced Air Mobility Centre of Excellence (NAAMCE) and the facility’s notable capabilities supporting research, training and public demonstrations.
Through the support of Congressman Turner, Sinclair was able to secure £2m in federal funding for this project.
“The growth of this market is essential not only for improving urban and rural transportation, cargo logistics and emergency services but also for driving economic progress by enabling new infrastructure, generating jobs and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, as in this case through our partnership with BETA,” said Jeffrey A. Miller, senior vice president of Workforce Development and Consulting at Sinclair College.
The flight simulator was delivered to Sinclair in April 2025 and BETA will deliver the ALIA CTOL in early 2026.
“For more than a century, Sinclair has been educating and equipping future leaders,” said Shawn Hall, Beta Technologies’ chief revenue officer. “With the unique vision and motivation to acquire our AAM technologies and expand its aerospace programme into this next era, it’s clear why they’ve been so successful. By layering our electric aviation technologies on top of Sinclair’s long standing excellence in aviation education, we’re not just familiarising pilots and technicians with this new technology, we’re cultivating a new workforce for the future.”
