On August 1, 2024, Select Aviation College Flight School celebrated not only another successful year in pilot training, but also a major milestone: their 10th anniversary.

To mark this special occasion, Select Aviation College Flight School unveiled their 10^th anniversary logo. This symbol embodies their commitment to excellence and their passion for aviation, which have guided their journey over the past decade.

Select Aviation College Flight School would like to express their gratitude to their incredible community – students, instructors and partners – everyone who has flown with them and made this journey possible. Join Select Aviation College Flight School in celebrating a decade dedicated to training tomorrow’s pilots.

An Overview of the Past 10 Years at the College

Select Aviation College got off to a modest start, originally established in the basement of Drummondville’s CSC3 aerodrome terminal. The college saw its first international student, Jean-Baptiste Carré, earn his commercial pilot’s license in 2015. Today, Select Aviation College is proud to have Jean-Baptiste as the College’s Vice President of Operations.

In 2016, the college expanded by moving to Hangar #10, a space transformed by major renovations and the purchase of a 3-axis motorized REDBIRD flight simulator. The following year, in July 2017, Select Aviation obtained its permit from Quebec’s Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, officially becoming a college and expanding its offering with three Attestation of Collegial Studies (AEC) programs.

In 2018, Transport Canada authorized Select Aviation to offer Integrated Airline Transport Pilot Training (ATPL), positioning the college among the top flight training establishments in the country. That same year, the college enriched its pedagogical experience with the purchase of a state-of-the-art ALSIMS ALX simulator, enabling multi-crew cooperation (MCC) training.

Commitment and Resilience

Following the tragic death of helicopter chief flight instructor Philippe Landes in a motorcycle accident in June 2017, the college established a $90,000 scholarship. This scholarship was awarded to an exemplary student, Ms Laurie Marin, who also joined the team as Director of Studies and Registrar.

In 2020, faced with the challenges posed by COVID-19, Select Aviation College contributed to the development of a sanitary protocol in collaboration with the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) and the Association québécoise du transport aérien (AQTA). This protocol was adopted in May 2020, enabling all training establishments to maintain their operations safely. In the midst of the pandemic, the College invested in a twin-engine Piper Seminole 2020 aircraft equipped with a 100% digital instrument panel, demonstrating its commitment to cutting-edge technology.

Expansion and Partnerships

In January 2021, the college inaugurated a secondary base, which became its new head office in June 2022 following the closure of the Drummondville campus. The City of Gatineau also completed major work at the Gatineau airport, including new taxiways and a brand-new building housing six classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology, an investment of over $13 million.

In January 2024, the college announced a partnership with Porter Airlines, qualifying for Porter Airlines’ Destination Porter mentoring program.

A Committed Community

The College is proud to invest in its students and strives to recruit as many of its graduates as possible for key positions within the organization. This approach enables Select Aviation College not only to value talent within the institution, but also to ensure continuity and a thorough understanding of the college’s values and objectives. By offering career opportunities to its alumni, the College reinforces its commitment to their professional and personal success.

The College also encourages student participation in extracurricular activities and benefits from the active involvement of its students in several committees. Thanks to the efforts of their Green Committee, the College has been awarded the Cégep Vert certification, in recognition of its sustainability efforts, as well as the École Bleue certification, underlining its commitment to responsible water management.

Safety remains Select Aviation’s highest priority, and they are proud of the work of their Safety Committee, made up of students and staff, who organize seminars several times a year to promote safety and awareness within the school.

A Vision for the Future

The flight school currently welcomes over 250 students a year from around the world and continues to grow by remaining at the forefront of innovation and excellence in pilot training. In addition to flight training, Select Aviation now offers a range of tourism products such as city tours and customized helicopter flights.

Select Aviation College is proud of its track record, and looks forward to the success of its graduates, who are now employed by several major airlines, both in Canada and internationally.

Select Aviation’s dedication has remained unchanged since day one, and they hope to continue training tomorrow’s pilots for decades to come with the same passion.

Source: Select Aviation College
Photo Credit: Select Aviation College