Cebu Pacific Air added pilot training for ATR 72-600 to an exclusive 15-year training agreement with its joint venture CAE Clark – Philippine Academy for Aviation Training.
Langley Flying School in British Columbia Canada is adding a high fidelity Alsim AL250 simulator to their growing fleet and is now Alsim’s newest client in Canada.
Women in Aviation International received a $15,000 grant from the International Society of Transport Aircraft Training Foundation, which funds educational programs that advance commercial aviation.
Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, and Gama Aviation have been appointed by the UK Ministry of Defence as the organisations responsible for supporting the airworthiness of the Viking T1 – the aircraft used by Royal Air Force Air Cadets for basic glider training.
As the Covid-19 pandemic persists, and students return to campuses across the United States, there has not been a significant decline in the number of students enrolled in pilot-degree programs, according to a survey of aviation educators. Nearly 90% of schools report “little or no change.”
Only one school reported more than 15% cancellations or degree changes. About one-quarter indicated a “melt” of 5-15% in students committed to attending (though up from 10% a month ago). One-third are seeing less than 5% change, and 26.47% indicated all enrolled students plan to attend.
Surprisingly, in the wake of the devastation in the airline industry, nearly 40% of the universities will have a higher number of students than started a year ago. Only 15% expect a lower number, and 36.4% are level with 2019.
Ken Byrnes, Chair of the Flight Training Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), who moderates the ad-hoc national group’s periodic Zoom discussions, cautioned, “As the airline industry slows, interest can start to wane,” but he reminded that the process of becoming an airline pilot “is a four- to five-year journey, and the industry is going to need a significant amount of pilots in the near future.”
Every year, thousands of FAA employees, industry members, and international students come to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, to the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, for courses involving aviation safety, air traffic, and technical operations. These professionals ensure that the US National Airspace System remains safe and efficient. CAT Guest Commentary by Carlos Aqueda, AMA-250 Regulatory Standards, FAA Academy.
Before the world faces another pilot shortage, the industry needs to learn how to recruit, train and retain new pools of people. Rona Gindin reports.
When the pandemic is past, or at least under control, and air traffic climbs toward and beyond 2019 levels, a pipeline of new commercial pilots will again be needed. The industry must look beyond men to fill airline cockpit seats.
The forecasts may fluctuate as the airlines recover from the Covid-19 crisis, yet in coming decades military, commercial and private staffs will be populated with hundreds of thousands of additional pilots, and they’ll look different.
Women alone can provide a virtually unlimited supply of candidates. In each region, various sub-groups of the population can also join the ranks. In the United States, for instance, that includes African-Americans, Latinx, LGBTs and Asian-Americans, among others.