Aerostar Aviation in pact with US academy for pilot training

Bangalore, Feb 9 (UNI) Aerostar Aviation Private Limited, having diversified interests in the aviation sector, has entered into a strategic alliance with the US-based Flight Safety Academy, the world's most advanced pilot training institute, to send potential Indian students there for training.

With the aviation sector booming and the country needing over 7,000 pilots in the next seven years, there exists a huge gap between supply and demand, Aerostar CEO Air Vice Marshal (Retd) A J S Walia told newspersons here today.

He said the Flight Safety Academy had 230 flight simulators, 135 aircraft models and trained over 75,000 general, commercial and military aviators annually in 43 learning centres in the US, France, Canada and the UK.

Air Vice Marshal Walia said the Aerostar would select as many as 100 candidates annually for the training and facilitate loan facility for the 40-week course, which cost about 60,000 dollars.

The package included all other expenses, including uniform, books and licence fee. The candidate had to take care of boarding and lodging, which approximately would come to around 3,000 dollars.

He said once the course was completed, the candidate would get a minimum 225 hours of flying experience and if he or she opted for getting Flight Instructor tag, the Academy would entertain it.

Successful candidates could also get an additional flying experience of about 750 hours, which would be beneficial to the students.

UNI