JEDDAH, 31 October 2007 — For those who want to fly, the Australian Wings Academy is helping international students get their wings. “We offer those courses in our full-time diploma, which is around 12 months,” said Phil Sweeney, chief executive officer of the academy.
“The full-time diploma is basically 200 (flying) hours, and about 13 weeks of ground school (air and ground schools are incorporated). There are a number of tests along the way, a student license after 40 hours and a private license at around 55 hours‚“ he added.
At the end of the course, students are fully qualified to fly and can start their aviation career, Sweeney said. “There are two paths a student can follow after graduation,” he said. “They can become an instructor (a three-month course) where they can train others. The second path they can follow is to start working as a pilot for a charter or freight company, eventually leading on to working for an airline.”
The academy, which started in 1982, has remained a professional flying school. There has been a dramatic shortage of pilots around the world due in large part to the growth of the Middle East, Indian and Chinese economies as travel becomes more important, Sweeney said, adding that flights are being canceled all around the world because of a lack of staff.
Australian Wings Academy is hosting a free seminar at Al-Salam Holiday Inn in Jeddah on Nov. 5. ([email protected] or visit www. australianwingsacademy.com)
