To support the
expansion plans of Cebu Pacific Air, the company got into a joint
venture with global aviation training company CAE to put up a
specialized training facility for Airbus aircraft at the Clark Freeport
Zone in Pampanga.
The Philippine Academy for Aviation Training
(PAAT) belongs to the CAE Airbus Training Cooperation, adopting standard
Airbus training. The instructors are standardized by Airbus flight
instructors from the airplane manufacturer’s base in Toulouse, France.
CAE
is a known provider of simulation and modeling technologies and
integrated training solutions for commercial and business aviation and
defense. It has 100 sites in 30 countries and employs 8,000 people.
Formally
inaugurated in December, PAAT general manager Arvi Perez said their
type-rating program started last May. They are currently training 11
pilots, seven of whom are foreigners, for the initial type rating
course.
While Cebu Pacific now intends to get its pilots
exclusively from PAAT, Perez assured that their graduates are not
required to work exclusively for the airline. Citing a high demand for
pilots in the Asia Pacific region in the coming years, Perez said PAAT
not only aims to cater to the demands of the Philippine aviation
industry but to the entire region.
Outlook forecast
He
cited a pilot outlook for 2012 to 2031 that forecasts a demand of
460,000 pilots all over the world for 2031, with 40 percent of the
demand coming from Asia Pacific.
Between 2012 and 2021, 4,505
Airbus aircraft are slated for delivery in the Asia Pacific region while
another 5,113 are expected to be delivered between 2022 and 2031.
Perez
said PAAT’s training bags, manuals and other materials are all sent
directly from Airbus headquarters while their facility comes with two
Airbus full flight simulators, costing $11 million each. The full flight
simulator integrates the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and digital
processing systems to realistically represent real-time operations of
the Airbus aircraft.
The simulated aircraft compartment is an
exact replica, with instruments, controls, air supply, lights and
stowage compartments. The runways for landing are based on real airports
and the simulators come with settings for different weather conditions
and time.
Journalists from the Visayas and Mindanao were given a
tour of the facility last Friday and were allowed to experience the
flight simulator by training head, Capt. Ronaldo Mendoza.
The
entire facility is estimated to cost $50 million, which includes the
full flight simulators, an Airbus procedures transition trainer,
computer-based training room, classrooms, briefing rooms, lounge and
cafeteria. They intend to add two more simulators, with one of these
scheduled for delivery by 2014.
Training program
The
initial type rating program is composed of early line training, jet
familiarization and multi-crew cooperation. It is designed to
familiarize students with the jet aircraft and multi-crew operations, to
get used to operating a plane with jet engines from propellers and fly a
plane with a co-pilot.
Perez said being part of the CAE network
ensures their graduates of positions, even with foreign carriers. The
school also has partnerships with Robinsons Bank and Mayfair Bank to
offer financing for pilots seeking to further their skills with PAAT.
Because
their program is standardized by Airbus, Perez assured that the
difference in instructors will not hinder the training of students.
In
the future, PAAT also hopes to offer trainings for cabin crew and
dispatch and ground handling and become a main hub for aviation training
services in the region.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph
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