School Will Solicit Input From Airlines

When you need an answer, ask the experts, right?

Representatives from airlines around the country recently gathered at Pan Am International Flight Academy's (PAIFA's) Career Pilot Development (CPD) campus in Phoenix, AZ, to attend the Academy's annual Airline Advisory Committee Meeting. The meeting brought together Chief Pilots, Training Executives and Air Crew Recruiters to discuss recent enhancements to PAIFA's training curriculum and to share current and future hiring needs. This year's meeting also included an open forum during which Academy flight instructors were able to pose questions to the airline representatives on a host of different subjects.

Questions included specific airline policies on commuting, time building, and the airlines' views on type ratings. Instructors received first-hand recommendations from industry experts on preparing for interviews and new-hire ground schools as well as advice on being "the best pilot you can be". In addition, American Eagle Airlines and Piedmont Airlines conducted information sessions open to all Academy students in which they discussed their upcoming needs for pilots. Airline representatives accepted resumes, scheduled interviews, and subsequently offered pilot positions to several PAIFA instructor graduates.
 
"Shortly after we expanded our portfolio of services to include Career Pilot Development training in 1999, we realized that we needed direct input from the airlines to ensure that we produce graduates with the specific skills the airlines need," said PAIFA President and Chief Executive Officer Wally David. "To do this, we formed the Airline Advisory Committee. We've been holding these meetings for several years, and have received invaluable feedback from the airlines that has enabled us to refine and enhance our training curriculum. 

"As a result, our graduates are 'airline ready' when they complete our program." David added, "Evidence that these meetings are critical to the success of our program is the fact that 100% of the Academy's eligible CPD graduates were hired in 2004, and hiring is even stronger this year."

FMI: www.panamacademy.com