CLARK FREEPORT – With estimates that some 250,000 pilots would be needed in the Asia-Pacific region in the next 20 years, the Alpha Aviation Group (AAG), a flying school here which is one of the few nationwide equipped with flight simulators, has urged airlines to take in K-12 high school graduates who have finished full flying courses.
“As of now, most international and national airlines also require a bachelor’s degree on top of a pilot’s license of one who has finished a full flying course,” said Ruel Rombaoa, information officer of the AAG which is reported to be one of the country’s few flying schools which have Airbus 320 simulators which create a groundbased aircraft flying scenario to train students.
In a forum held by the Capampangans in Media, Inc. here, Rombaoa said that while a full flying course is expensive, the pay of commercial pilots could range from P250,000 to P500,000 monthly.
He said tuition for a full flying course that can last 18 to 25 months could cost about P4.5 million, but installment for tuition payment could be arranged with the school.
AAG, owned by United Kingdom capitalists, has about 80 veteran pilots as instructors using Cessna 172 aircraft for training.
It has graduated some 800 students, about 90 percent of whom now work as commercial pilots, Rombaoa said. He said high school graduates have been observed to have capabilities to become commercial pilots.
Considering the rising demand for pilots worldwide, existing flying schools would not be able to fill immediately the demand in the next years because of the requirement of some airlines to employ only those with bachelor’s degrees unrelated anyway Rombaoa to aviation, he noted.
