Aviation academy takes off

The first cadet pilot program operated by Hong Kong International Aviation Academy has started to take applications yesterday, as it aims to train 100 cadet commercial pilots a year, who can then work in three local airlines - Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express and Greater Bay Airlines - after they graduate from the program.

The academy, set up by the Hong Kong Airport Authority, will organize the full-time program which will last for 14 months and will start at the end of this year.

The program will cost each student HK$800,000 and can be paid in installments.

Interested applicants will have to go through a pilot aptitude test before passing the final interview and a medical assessment in order to complete the enrolment process, the academy said.

Admitted students will first attend a six-month theoretical knowledge instruction course in Hong Kong, which includes aircraft general knowledge, communications, flight performance and planning as well as Hong Kong Air Law.

The academy will organize preliminary job interviews for students with the three partner airlines towards the end of the instruction course, the academy added.

After passing the examinations for the instruction course, students will proceed to attend the IASCO Flight Training (IFT) in the United States for eight months, according to the academy.

Students will be trained on flight simulators for at least 55 hours as well as for 135 hours on single-engine aircraft and five hours on multi-engine aircraft.

They will achieve their first solo flight, first solo cross-country flight, a visual flight rules navigation progress test, and an instrument rating skill test during their stay in the United States, it added.

Students will then return to Hong Kong for a two-week, multi-crew cooperation course, to complete the final phase of the program, the academy said.

Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible for a Hong Kong Commercial Pilot License with Instrument Rating (Airplane).

Simon Li Tin-chu, the academy's president, said there is only one airline company organizing cadet pilot training programs and hopes the academy can expand the program to holding two to four, 24-student classes a year, which would be the ideal target of 100 cadet pilots per year.

"We are delighted to launch our first cadet pilot program, which focuses on nurturing high-quality airline pilots for Hong Kong," Li said.

"In the coming years, I hope that we can collaborate with local universities and industry partners to establish bachelor's or master's degree programs in aviation, along with flight training, to allow young people to participate in the cadet pilot program while studying for their university degrees," he added.