Embry-Riddle Launches Accelerated First Officer Flight Training Program

Daytona Beach, Fla., July 23, 2002 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, through its Aviation & Space Technology Academy (ASTA), is making it possible for a qualified individual to transition from aviation enthusiast to regional airline pilot in less than a year through its new accelerated First Officer Flight Training (FOFT) program.

The innovative 10-12-month course, which trains first officer candidates to regional airline and corporate fleet standards, gives candidates 550 hours of total flight experience and advanced jet simulator flight time, preparing them for positions as first officers with domestic regional airlines.

"We established this program to take advantage of opportunities created by an anticipated shortage of qualified pilots, unprecedented growth of the regional airline industry, and market demand in aviation," says George Ebbs, president of Embry-Riddle. "It is a practical response to the needs of our industry."

A recent Embry-Riddle survey shows that commercial aviation will need more than 11,000 new pilots by 2003, yet only slightly more than 7,500 qualified civilian and military pilots will enter the field that year. With plans by the Federal Aviation Administration to increase the capacity of the nation's airports and airways by 30 percent, the pilot crunch will continue to be a problem for years to come.

The First Officer Flight Training program targets individuals with four-year college degrees who want to become airline pilots. Prior flight training is not required. However, candidates who have a commercial pilot license with instrument and multi-engine ratings can complete the program in four months.

"Embry-Riddle has a long and successful history of providing the aviation industry with the 'best of the best' through its traditional undergraduate and graduate degree programs. This new venture is a natural extension of our expertise and serves a different but vital industry and student need," says Guy McClurkan, Embry-Riddle vice president of Affiliate Operations. "Qualified individuals willing to meet the challenge offered by this sophisticated and demanding program will find themselves in the right seat of a regional jet very quickly."

McClurkan, whose office oversees ASTA, adds that evaluation for FOFT eligibility consists of background verification, academic and personality assessment, hand-eye coordination tests, and a flight simulator lesson.

The program employs state-of-the-art equipment. Diamond Aircraft's DA40 composite single-engine DiamondStar, for example, has been selected as the primary training aircraft. The fleet of DA40-180 DiamondStars will be equipped with the latest Garmin Avionics suite composed of the 530/430/330 units, including the new Mode S traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS).

All flight and academic training will be conducted at St. Augustine Airport in St. Augustine, Fla. The program's final phase involves jet aircraft transition, airline procedures, and simulator training using regional jet-specific flight training devices (FTD) and full flight simulators (FFS).

Other FOFT supporters and partners include Piper Aircraft, GATE Student Loan financing, and Boeing Capital Fleet Leasing. Additionally, the academy is in negotiations with several regional and national airline partners and will announce bridge agreements and partnerships in the near future.

To graduate, candidates are required to complete 16 academic aeronautical courses including advanced avionics, air transport pilot test preparation, airport security, aviation law, crew resource management, hazardous materials training, high-altitude meteorology, high-altitude physiology, hydraulic systems, jet aircraft performance, labor law, and turbine engine systems.

ASTA also offers a 16-month certification program in airframe and powerplant (A&P) technology and a four-month certification program in avionics maintenance. The academy produced its first A&P graduating class in April 2002 and is expected to graduate 180 new A&P technicians annually in addition to its FOFTgraduates.

For information about the First Officer Flight Training program, contact Paul Woessner, executive director, at (386) 226-6434. For information about all other Aviation & Space Technology Academy programs, call (877) 904-3746 toll-free, e-mail info@asta-erau.org, or go to www.asta-erau.org.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates 24,000 students annually through the master's level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 150 teaching centers in the United States and Europe, and through distance learning.