Piloting a course to airlines' future
Daytona Beach: In a sharp turnaround, the American airline industry has gone from cutting thousands of jobs after Sept. 11 to scrambling for pilots — a problem that might seem pretty good from the perspective of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
To Peter Morton, director of special projects at the university’s College of Aviation, solving the shortage is as formidable as taking on world
Educators, airline executives and airplane manufacturers are converging this week on Embry-Riddle for the 2008 National Training Aircraft Symposium held through Thursday (March 20). The theme of the annual event is “Managing Collegiate Flight Training to Preserve the Pilot Supply Pipeline.”
Tim Brady, dean of the college, said Embry-Riddle had invited employers of pilots to talk about the best way for education programs to stay effective, provide students with a career head start and satisfy employers’ needs for pilots and crew.
The international pilot shortage that Embry-Riddle and its guests are grappling with is the result of three factors:
· Extraordinary air traffic growth in the Persian Gulf, China and India;
· The rise of lucrative low-cost carriers in Europe and Asia, and;
· The sustained recovery of the U.S. airlines.
One full day of the Embry-Riddle symposium will be devoted to the issue of supplying pilots in an expanding and diverse global industry.
Speakers at the conference also will discuss the best ways to train pilots on the latest aircraft, and manufacturers will demonstrate airplanes, avionics and training innovations.
Thursday’s (March 20) programme:
- Developing and Preserving the Pilot Supply Pipeline: A Dialog between Institutions and Employers
- Panel 5: Aligning academics, flight, and industry: report on best practices, industry bridge programs, pilot supply mitigation.
- Plenary discussions on best practices and assignments.
- Exhibits and demonstrations.
- Participants and exhibitors interact, side meetings, flight demonstrations.
18/03/08 Melissa Griggs/Daytona Beach News Journal Online.com, USA