The seven-semester “Professional pilot” training, which is primarily aimed at international students, is jointly offered by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen and Pharma Flight, as the institution’s External Department of Aeronautical Engineering, where the preparation of the instructors participating in the training started this week.
“Aviation consists of the coordinated operation of many subsystems, each of which requires professionals with the necessary qualifications,” said András Farkas. The head of the Aviation Department of the National Transport Authority gave a lecture to the instructors at the Faculty of Engineering on Thursday, where he said that the aim of the international-level aeronautical engineering programme is to ensure the availability of the next generation of pilots by graduates from the university programme.
“The Hungarian Accreditation Committee is expected to make a decision on permitting the launching of the degree programme within a week, but in the meantime we are not wasting time: we have already started the training of the trainers, since instructors at the Faculty of Engineering will have to adapt the theoretical courses to comply with some special conditions. This means that we also have to become more familiar with aviation as a profession”, explained Géza Husi, deputy dean of education at the Faculty of Engineering.
In addition to the theoretical lectures, the instructors selected for participating in the training can also become familiar with the opportunities for practical training offered by Pharma Flight: there is currently a Boeing and Airbus simulator at the company’s facility where candidates can learn the skills necessary for piloting aircraft. Both of these are suitable for practicing take-off and landing manoeuvres and the various emergency procedures, whether they involve wind, fog, flying at night, bird collisions or damaged aircraft. This simulator is unique also in that it is capable of creating oxygen-deficient conditions in the cockpit, thus preparing the pilot for some of the most unexpected situations.
“Pharma Flight is a centre that can participate not only in the practical training, but also in testing pilots, conducting aeromedical examinations and flight safety research,” Enikő Földi, the strategic director of the company emphasised.
“The university’s international network of education agents provide points of contact in 50 countries, and despite the high cost of the professional pilot training – amounting to USD 120,000 for the seven semesters – there is already much interest. According to the plans, the training will start from September with a minimum of 20 students, but higher enrolment numbers are also possible”, László Kozma, the programme coordinator of the Coordinating Center for International Education told the unideb.hu portal.
The training of the trainers will continue next week at the external department.
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