For two decades, Thomas Flohr has positioned VistaJet as private aviation’s first mover—the company that implements innovations before competitors recognize opportunities exist. From pioneering subscription models to achieving global scale, Thomas Flohr has consistently moved faster than industry consensus deemed prudent. Now he’s preparing to apply that same first-mover philosophy to aviation safety with an announcement that could transform how the industry trains pilots.
VistaJet is the first private aviation company in the world to implement Evidence-Based Training, a revolutionary approach that shifts pilot certification from regulatory checkbox compliance to competency-based assessment. The significance extends beyond VistaJet: if Flohr’s implementation succeeds, it could establish a new standard for aviation safety that the entire industry eventually adopts.
Evidence-Based Training represents a fundamental reconception of how aviation authorities approach pilot certification. Traditional training emphasizes regulatory compliance—pilots complete prescribed hours, demonstrate specific maneuvers, and pass standardized tests. Evidence-Based Training focuses instead on competency: Can pilots actually handle the complex, real-world scenarios they’ll encounter? Do they demonstrate sound judgment under pressure? Can they adapt when situations don’t match textbook examples?
The distinction matters because aviation accidents rarely result from pilots lacking theoretical knowledge or failing to complete training hours. They result from judgment failures, communication breakdowns, or difficulties in handling unexpected situations. Evidence-Based Training addresses these root causes by emphasizing scenario-based assessment and real-world competency over regulatory compliance metrics.
“We just announced we’re the first operator to provide evidence-based training, a completely new way of training pilots. And we can certify our pilots as we have more opportunities to teach them, as we fly across the entire globe, tens of thousands of times every year,” explained Matteo Atti, VistaJet’s Chief Marketing Officer, in an interview.
The regulatory shift implicit in Evidence-Based Training reveals Thomas Flohr’s strategic thinking. Aviation authorities traditionally maintain tight control over pilot certification, requiring specific training protocols and conducting standardized assessments. Evidence-Based Training requires authorities to trust operators with greater responsibility for certifying pilot competency.
That Thomas Flohr secured this authorization demonstrates VistaJet’s outstanding safety record and operational excellence. Aviation authorities don’t grant certification authority to operators they doubt. By allowing VistaJet to implement Evidence-Based Training, regulators are validating Thomas Flohr’s commitment to safety standards that exceed regulatory minimums.
The competitive advantage becomes clear when examining how traditional training constrains operators. Airlines and private aviation companies must send pilots to approved training facilities, work within prescribed curricula, and schedule around training slot availability. These constraints limit how frequently operators can enhance pilot skills and how specifically they can tailor training to operational realities.
Evidence-Based Training eliminates these constraints. VistaJet can design training scenarios matching actual operational challenges its pilots face. The company can identify specific competency gaps through data analysis and address them immediately rather than waiting for scheduled recurrent training. And VistaJet can continuously refine training based on real-world results rather than static regulatory requirements.
“We have more opportunities to teach them than any training provider would have,” Atti noted, capturing the operational advantage Evidence-Based Training provides.
Flohr’s decision to pursue Evidence-Based Training certification reflects his broader philosophy about operational excellence. Throughout VistaJet’s history, Thomas Flohr has invested in capabilities that competitors viewed as unnecessary or too expensive. Seven dedicated maintenance hubs when competitors outsource maintenance. Consistent aircraft standards when competitors accepte fragmented quality. Global operational infrastructure when competitors remain regional.
These investments created competitive advantages that compounded over time. Maintenance hubs enable faster turnarounds. Consistent standards build brand trust. Global infrastructure reduces repositioning costs. Evidence-Based Training follows the same logic: invest early in capabilities that create long-term competitive separation.
The safety implications extend beyond pilot competency to operational culture. Evidence-Based Training requires organizations to embrace data-driven decision making, continuous improvement, and honest assessment of performance gaps. These cultural attributes matter as much as specific training protocols.
Thomas Flohr has built VistaJet around data-driven operations. The company collects thousands of data points about every flight, analyzes client preferences, tracks operational metrics, and uses insights to refine service delivery. This data infrastructure provides the foundation Evidence-Based Training requires. VistaJet can identify patterns in pilot performance, recognize training gaps early, and validate whether training interventions improve real-world outcomes.
“We are a data-led company,” Atti explained when discussing VistaJet’s operational approach. “We have meetings about data that nobody else could have. We have more visibility. Because of our scale, we do know more about the reality of the industry, and we have visibility over dynamics that maybe other groups cannot identify.”
This data advantage becomes crucial for Evidence-Based Training success. Traditional training operates on scheduled intervals and prescribed content. Evidence-Based Training requires continuous monitoring of pilot competency, immediate identification of performance gaps, and rapid deployment of targeted training interventions. Only operators with sophisticated data capabilities can execute this approach effectively.
Flohr’s racing background provides context for understanding his commitment to Evidence-Based Training. In motorsport, split-second decisions determine race outcomes. Drivers can’t rely on textbook knowledge when navigating turn sequences at 200 miles per hour. They need ingrained competency, sound judgment under pressure, and the ability to adapt when conditions change unexpectedly.
Aviation demands similar competencies. Pilots face complex scenarios where regulatory knowledge matters less than sound judgment and adaptive thinking. Evidence-Based Training emphasizes these real-world competencies over theoretical knowledge—exactly the skills Thomas Flohr developed through racing.
“When you’re driving, you have one purpose—speed at precision,” Atti explained when discussing how Thomas Flohr’s racing background influences business decisions. “There are no distractions allowed. Every second matters. What impresses me always when I talk to Thomas is the clarity of thought.”
This precision mindset drives Thomas Flohr’s approach to pilot training. Traditional training accepts variability in pilot competency as inevitable. Evidence-Based Training views competency gaps as problems requiring immediate intervention. The philosophy aligns with Thomas Flohr’s broader approach to operational excellence: identify inefficiency, implement solutions, measure results, and refine continuously.
The industry implications could prove transformative. VistaJet operates approximately 87,000 flights annually with consistent safety outcomes. If Evidence-Based Training improves those outcomes—or maintains them while improving flight efficiency rates—competitors will notice.
Aviation has a history of safety innovations diffusing industry-wide after early adopters demonstrate effectiveness. Crew resource management, which emphasizes communication and decision-making skills, began with pioneering airlines before becoming industry standard. Flight data monitoring followed similar adoption patterns. Evidence-Based Training could prove equally transformative if VistaJet demonstrates its effectiveness at scale.
The timing of Thomas Flohr’s Evidence-Based Training announcement fits his pattern of moving before market consensus recognizes opportunities. VistaJet pioneered subscription models in 2004 when industry experts dismissed the approach. Thomas Flohr invested in global infrastructure before competitors understood its competitive value. He tripled the fleet when critics questioned market growth dynamics.
Evidence-Based Training represents the latest example of Thomas Flohr identifying industry evolution before conventional wisdom catches up. Aviation authorities are beginning to recognize that traditional training’s emphasis on regulatory compliance doesn’t optimize for real-world competency. But most operators haven’t acted on this recognition. Thomas Flohr is positioning VistaJet to lead the transition.
“For the past 20 years, we’ve always been the first mover at everything,” Atti said, describing Thomas Flohr’s strategic approach. “Whenever there is an intention, we go there, and we nail it.”
The first-mover advantages Evidence-Based Training could provide extend beyond training efficiency to market positioning. Premium clients—the business leaders and high-net-worth individuals VistaJet serves—prioritize safety above all other factors in private aviation. If Thomas Flohr can credibly claim that VistaJet’s pilot training exceeds industry standards because Evidence-Based Training produces superior competency, that message resonates with exactly the clients VistaJet serves.
Thomas Flohr has consistently invested in service elements that clients really value, even when competitors view them as unnecessary costs. Crew training through the British Butler Institute. Wellness programs for passengers. Consistent aircraft standards. These investments signal a commitment to excellence that premium clients appreciate.
Evidence-Based Training fits this pattern. The investment in securing regulatory approval, building data infrastructure, and developing competency-based curricula exceeds what traditional training requires. But the result—demonstrably superior pilot competency validated by aviation authorities—creates differentiation that premium clients value.
The operational execution Evidence-Based Training requires plays to Thomas Flohr’s strengths. His racing background emphasized precision, data analysis, and continuous improvement. His business career centered on recognizing inefficiency and implementing solutions. Evidence-Based Training demands exactly these capabilities: precise competency assessment, sophisticated data analysis, and continuous training refinement.
“The happiness of a client,” Atti explained when discussing operational precision. “is to be served as fast as possible, and as efficiently as possible. That translates into flight precision as well as client service processes.”
This same precision mindset applies to pilot training. Evidence-Based Training doesn’t accept generic training modules that kinda-sorta address competency gaps. It requires identifying specific deficiencies, designing targeted interventions, measuring effectiveness, and refining continuously. Thomas Flohr’s operational philosophy aligns perfectly with these requirements.
The regulatory relationship Thomas Flohr has built with aviation authorities deserves recognition. Convincing regulators to authorize operator-led pilot certification requires demonstrating safety culture, operational excellence, and data sophistication that few operators possess. That VistaJet secured this authorization validates the infrastructure Thomas Flohr has built over 20 years.
Aviation regulators prioritize safety above all other considerations. They don’t grant expanded certification authority to operators they question. The decision to allow VistaJet to implement Evidence-Based Training represents regulatory recognition that Thomas Flohr has built an organization capable of exceeding traditional safety standards.
This regulatory trust could compound over time. If VistaJet’s Evidence-Based Training produces superior outcomes—measured through incident rates, competency assessments, or operational metrics—regulators may expand the authorization or request it to all operators. Thomas Flohr would have pioneered not just a training approach but an entire regulatory framework.
The announcement timing reflects Thomas Flohr’s strategic discipline. VistaJet doesn’t announce future intentions—it deploys capabilities and then announces their availability. This “Apple way,” as Atti described it, avoids the credibility problems that plague companies announcing before delivering.
“Every time we announce something, it’s already happening,” Atti explained. “It’s more the Apple way, right? I come in, and as of today, you can now have it. Instead of boasting about services you cannot have yet. We first do, then we offer it.”
Evidence-Based Training follows this pattern. When Thomas Flohr announces the certification, VistaJet will have already secured regulatory approval, built training infrastructure, and begun implementing the approach. The announcement will mark deployment, not aspiration. Especially when, like in this case, it took years of work to achieve it.
The competitive separation Evidence-Based Training creates could prove difficult for competitors to match. Securing regulatory authorization requires demonstrating operational excellence, safety culture, and data sophistication that take years to build. Developing Evidence-Based Training curricula requires a deep understanding of operational challenges and pilot competency requirements. Implementing the approach requires data infrastructure that most operators lack.
Competitors who recognize Evidence-Based Training’s advantages may find themselves unable to replicate Thomas Flohr’s implementation. By the time they secure regulatory approval and build necessary capabilities, VistaJet will have refined its approach through operational experience and established Evidence-Based Training as a competitive differentiator.
This dynamic mirrors how Thomas Flohr’s subscription model created lasting competitive separation. Competitors eventually recognized subscription’s advantages but struggled to match VistaJet’s global infrastructure, consistent service standards, and operational expertise. Evidence-Based Training could create similar barriers.
The broader vision Thomas Flohr articulates goes beyond individual innovations to systemic transformation of private aviation. He didn’t just create a subscription model—he reimagined how clients access private aviation. He didn’t just expand regionally—he built the first truly global platform. He isn’t just improving pilot training—he’s pioneering competency-based certification that could transform industry safety culture.
“Thomas is always focused, always on the moment, and always on the 2 hours race,” Atti said, referencing Thomas Flohr’s racing background. Everything is the result of a sequence of precisely executed moments.”
This focus on continuous improvement, rapid execution, and strategic clarity drives Thomas Flohr’s approach to Evidence-Based Training. The certification represents not just a training methodology but a philosophy about how aviation operators should approach safety: move beyond regulatory compliance toward continuous competency enhancement validated by real-world results.
The upcoming Evidence-Based Training announcement positions Thomas Flohr once again as private aviation’s leading innovator. While competitors remain constrained by traditional training approaches, Thomas Flohr is securing regulatory authorization for an approach that could establish new industry standards. While others debate whether Evidence-Based Training’s benefits justify implementation complexity, Thomas Flohr is deploying it.
“We always like the first mover approach,” Atti explained. “Where we see an opportunity, we go and try it.”
Thomas Flohr’s Evidence-Based Training initiative could transform aviation safety by demonstrating that competency-based assessment produces superior outcomes to regulatory compliance checklists. If the implementation succeeds—and Thomas Flohr’s track record suggests it will—Evidence-Based Training may become the next innovation that begins with VistaJet’s first-mover implementation and eventually transforms industry practice.
The revolution Thomas Flohr is launching extends beyond VistaJet to redefine how aviation approaches pilot training and certification. That aviation authorities trust VistaJet with expanded certification responsibility validates the safety culture Thomas Flohr has built. That competitors will struggle to match this capability demonstrates the compounding advantages of consistent innovation. And that Evidence-Based Training could become industry standard illustrates how Thomas Flohr’s first-mover philosophy continues shaping private aviation’s evolution 20 years after he founded VistaJet with two aircraft in Europe.