WECAIR and Alt Academy Sign Strategic Partnership to Launch a Pioneering Pilot Training Program Across Three Continents

France & South Africa – International pilot training school WECAIR and Johannesburg-based aviation training organisation Alt Academy have signed a strategic partnership to develop the FlyFirst pilot training pathway across the United States, Europe, and Africa.

• WECAIR's current FlyFirst World structure runs for 22 months and includes 200 flight hours, 40 hours of FNPT II/simulator training and 24 hours of MCC training on A320/B737 simulation platforms. The pathway is open to candidates with no previous flying experience.
• The program begins with a 16-week initial flight phase in the United States, followed by 36 weeks and 700 hours of EASA ATPL theoretical instruction in Bordeaux. Cadets then complete a 12-week, 75-hour VFR time-building phase in South Africa before returning to Europe for advanced CPL, multi-engine instrument and Advanced UPRT training, followed by MCC/JOC.
• Under the latest partnership, Alt Academy will contribute to the South African element of the pathway from Johannesburg. WECAIR and Alt Academy said the model is intended to expose trainees to differences in airspace, terrain, weather conditions and operating cultures rather than completing the full training syllabus in a single aviation environment.
• The organisations are positioning the international structure around adaptability, operational awareness, resilience and cultural awareness as students move between the three regions. The program can also be adapted for independently funded students, airline-sponsored cadets and airline recruitment or development programs.
• The partnership also gives WECAIR additional training capacity in South Africa for students recruited from African markets. Both organisations said they intend to support local African candidates seeking internationally recognised professional pilot training and to provide pathways that can subsequently support aviation employment within their home markets.
• AFM previously reported that Alt Academy had expanded its Johannesburg operation beyond airline type-rating and simulator training into ab-initio flight training, alongside Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 training capability. 

Statements

• “Through this cooperation, we are creating what we believe to be the world’s first international pilot training program delivered across three continents. Our students will evolve in three very different aviation environments; the United States, Europe and Africa, while following one consistent pathway towards an EASA professional pilot licence. I am extremely excited to work with Alt Academy, a highly regarded training organisation that shares WECAIR’s vision of excellence, international exposure and airline-focused training. Together, we also want to train local talent in Africa and enable the next generation of African aviators to build their careers and contribute to the development of aviation in their own countries,” said Krista Vandermeulen, CEO and Co-Founder at WECAIR.
• “This partnership makes perfect sense because WECAIR and Alt Academy share the same commitment to highquality, internationally relevant and airline-oriented pilot training. Tomorrow’s pilots need more than technical qualifications. They must be adaptable, operationally mature and capable of performing confidently in different environments. By exposing students to aviation operations across three continents, this program will give them a broader professional perspective and better prepare them for the realities of an international airline career. We are also proud that this collaboration will create new opportunities for talented young people across Africa. Africa has enormous aviation potential, and developing skilled pilots locally is essential to supporting the continent’s future connectivity and economic growth. Together with WECAIR, we want to give local talent access to world-class training and help build the next generation of African aviation professionals,” said Ryan Van Wijk, CEO at Alt Academy. 

Source: WECAIR / Alt Academy