Aurora Mk II Type Rating

The Aurora Mk II Type Rating authorises a pilot to command Halcyon's fastest crewed craft, a single-seat courier capable of 1,450 km/s, on its own. Because there is no second pilot aboard, the Halcyon Type Certification Office sets an unusually high bar and the IFSB co-signs every rating.

Applicants must hold a Commercial Pilot Licence (Orbital) and 400 hours as pilot in command. The rating itself requires 120 simulator hours, completion of a single-pilot resource management module with a strong focus on fatigue, and a long-range check ride in which the candidate flies an Aurora several days out towards Mars orbit, shadowed by an examiner in a chase ship.

Lumen's Courier & Interceptor Rating is the accredited route. The rating is valid for 12 months and is renewed with a simulator proficiency check plus one observed line flight.

Holders typically fly for express courier firms and patrol cooperatives. The rating does not extend to the Corvid Stealth Scout, which is certified separately by its operators.

Because of the ship's speed, the rating also requires annual training in high-energy emergency procedures, including reactor shutdown at top speed and fuel-critical diversions. Courier firms typically expect new holders to fly supervised routes for their first months.