Ankara University’s Civil Aviation Program to Train Foreign Pilots

Istanbul, Turkey | November 28, 2008 by D-8 Secretariat

An agreement between Ankara University’s Civil Aviation School and Turkish Airlines will enable foreign students to study in the Turkish city of Eskişehir for careers in aviation. The director of Ankara University’s (AU) Civil Aviation School, Professor Mustafa Cavcar, has said his school currently meets only 30 percent of Turkey’s total pilot needs but aims to raise this figure.

D-8 to boost cooperation in Civil Aviation

The aviation training school was established in 1986 to produce employees for the Turkish civil aviation sector trained to international aviation standards. The school has trained 2,500 students over the 22 years that it has been open, Cavcar noted. The training program lasts five years, including one full year of English language preparation. Courses cover aviation electronics, airplane engine maintenance, civil aviation transportation management, air traffic control and piloting.

“The Civil Aviation School has one airport open to international air traffic, one JAR-145-approved maintenance plant, 26 airplanes, 28 laboratories and one flight simulator, tower control simulator and radar simulator each. The maintenance plant at the training school can service six airplanes weighing up to 5,700 kilograms. Students are trained in airport management, air traffic control and flight and airplane maintenance. They can immediately put into practice what they learn. The integrated structure we have here means that this civil aviation school maintains a partnership with both national and international aviation institutions and industries. Thanks to its staff, equipment and training, our school is one of the world’s prestigious aviation training schools,” Professor Cavcar said.

Professor Cavcar also noted that the AU Civil Aviation School produces around 100 people for the Turkish civil aviation sector every year, saying: “As part of an agreement we have with Turkish Airlines [THY], they send 15 of their employees from their engineering and technical assistance and we educate and train them. Additionally, we produce 25 pilots a year. In the coming years, the number of people we train for Turkish civil aviation careers will increase. Now that THY is really growing, it needs more and more pilots. We meet about 30 percent of the demand for pilots in Turkey but want to raise that percentage.”
THY reportedly plans to purchase 100 airplanes over the coming decade. Addressing this, Professor Cavcar said each new plane will require a team of people to fly it. “The airplanes to be purchased will open up a great need for pilots. Turkey should be producing between 100 and 150 pilots every year. Many of our students receive grants from private companies to study and, after they graduate, these students often work for the companies that sponsored them. There are many places in Turkey that offer courses on piloting, but those places don’t offer an academic education. The only institute offering academic training as well is our AU Civil Aviation School. Furthermore, flight-training centers exist and are run by the Turkish Aviation Board [THK]. It produces around 10-15 pilots a year. THY also sends around 15 people a year to the THK for training.”

Foreign students part of program

Professor Cavcar touched on problems being experienced by China, India and Russia in finding an adequate number of trained pilots. “These countries need to close their pilot gaps. Otherwise not only will the aviation sectors in these countries slow down, but so will their economies. They do not have enough resources — which is why they need to see to it that some of their staff receive training outside the country.”

Explaining further, Professor Cavcar said starting in 2009, within the framework of an agreement between AU’s Civil Aviation School and THY, foreign students will be educated in the Turkish city of Eskişehir for careers in aviation. “Foreign students will be able to study for between 18 and 20 months in Eskişehir. Students who have completed their education will be able to pilot Airbus and Boeing airplanes in their own countries.”

Pointing to a recent 40 percent increase in national air transport in Turkey, Professor Cavcar added: “I have a feeling this increase will stop at 40 percent because of the global financial crisis. At the very least, Turkey will maintain the percentage of passengers being transported by airplane nationally. We might even see an annual increase of 3-4 percent.”

Commenting on the news, D-8 Secretary General, Dipo Alam, said that he cherished the news and believe that this cooperation program in Ankara University could set a model for the similar cooperation within D-8 in terms of training and supply for professional pilot for D-8 aviation. “We also have agreed during the 3rd D-8 WGCA in Bali, that we will established a task force in civil aviation training which will be led by Turkey,” he added.

Read Also

• D-8 Civil Aviation to Surge its Cooperation with the Upcoming WG Meeting
• Inspiring News for D-8 Civil Aviation: Turkey TAV leads Boutique Airports Business
• Good News for D-8 Civil Aviation Cooperation
• To the Pearl of the World, Isfahan, They Go to Develop D-8 Civil Aviation
• Indonesia to Host the 3rd Working Group on Civil Aviation and Directors Generals Meeting, 17-18 June 2008
• Pakistan Pro-Business Civil Aviation Policy 2008 is Promising for D-8 Cooperation
• Success in Isfahan 2nd Meeting to have MOU and TOR: Turkey will leads D-8 Civil Aviation Cooperation in 2007-2009
• Indonesia to Host the 3rd Working Group on Civil Aviation and Directors Generals Meeting
• Good News for D-8 Civil Aviation: Turkey becomes business jet center
• Nigeria is keen to take part in D-8 Civil Aviation Cooperation