Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA), a Cork based international flight school, has opened its second pilot training base, located at Waterford Airport.
As reported by Pilot Career News, this follows the recent launch in Cork of a new Mentored Pilot Programme Partnership between AFTA and Ryanair.
AFTA’s new 16-month intensive cadet training programme gives trainee pilots a structured path to achieve their pilot licence and reach a standard where they are ready to join the Ryanair Boeing 737 type-rating programme.
Trainee pilots on the programme will be trained by AFTA instructors under Ryanair procedures. Over the next five years, up to 450 new pilots from across Europe will be recruited and trained by AFTA in Cork and Waterford.
Student cadets fly AFTA’s next generation Glass cockpit Cessna 172 for the initial phase of the flight training. This will then be followed by the Diamond Twin star DA42 and Piper Seneca for the advanced phases. The final stages of training are conducted on a next generation state-of-the-art simulator, based on the Boeing 737 NG.
John Halligan TD, Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development had this to say: “The aviation sector plays an important role in Ireland’s economy and Atlantic Flight Training Academy, an Enterprise Ireland client company, has been a key partner working with Cork Institute of Technology in helping to address the industry challenges of pilot retention and ongoing training, through the launch of Europe’s first Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in International Business with Aviation Studies programme.”
