A leading UK drone training company has teamed up with the country’s top commercial and airline pilot teaching academy to offer wider opportunities for newly qualified pilots, reports suasnews.com.
Skyborne Airline Academy based at Gloucestershire Airport, gives innovative, airline-focused training to meet the needs of the aviation industry, providing state-of-the-art technology and high-quality teaching for its trainees.
Newly qualified pilots from Skyborne’s UKCAA/EASA Integrated and Combined Modular ATPL programmes will be hand-selected to join Flyby Technology as commercial drone operators, completing the company’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight education course.
Flyby Technology founder Jon Parker, an airline pilot and former RAF fighter pilot, has recognised the value of Skyborne’s training philosophy and the quality of the skills, knowledge and professionalism of its graduate pilots.
Jon explains, “The drone industry leads the way towards a new age of aviation. Flyby Technology is trailblazing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) training that will take the flying of civilian drones to a completely new level. This will give the UK the competitive edge in the world market and secure a place in history for British innovation.”
The UKs Civil Aviation Authority is supporting this use of drones which could open vast new markets worth millions of pounds to future UK BVLOS commercial drone operators. Jon added: “Due to COVID-19, job prospects in manned aviation have fallen steeply for newly qualified pilots. Those from Skyborne are carefully selected before they do the Flyby course. We know they are well trained, motivated and would make ideal drone operators once we have given them further specialist training.”
Lee Woodward, CEO at Skyborne, said, “This is a first for UK pilot training. Working with Flyby Technology provides fantastic opportunities for our graduates to build a career flying unmanned aircraft while maintaining their pilot skills, teamwork and leadership.
He continued, “At Skyborne we are committed to innovation and contributing to the development of this exciting field of aviation. Our newly qualified pilots will receive a competitive starting salary as they help to shape the future of the drone industry.”
Jon Parker’s team of instructors include fellow ex-military and highly experienced aviators. He added, “We are now training the drone operators of tomorrow. They will be the best in the world. No-one is doing what Flyby Technology is doing. It’s the best training, the best technology, the best British innovation coupled with some of the best people we can find in the UK.”
Parker concluded, “Drones are getting serious and we need serious people to fly them. This is not hobby flying any more. This is the beginning of the next chapter in the evolution of aviation and these young people are the power plant for it.”
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