UnitedSky w tygodniku Poland Weekly - 19.05.2022 - 01.06.2022

19.05.2022 - 01.06.2022 business • people • culture polandweekly
A roWING need for pilot TRAINING
19
Włodzimierz Soiński
President of the Board of the
UnitedSky Pilot Academy
People all over the
world want and need to travel.
The COVID-19 outbreak has
therefore posed huge challenges
for carriers. Both airlines and airports
are developing increasingly
effective solutions to reduce the
epidemiological risk and restore
busy air traffic. With its revival,
the need for pilots is increasing.
They will replace those who
left during the pandemic or will
leave in the near future, e.g. due
to reaching retirement age. This
forecasts a significant increase in
demand for flight training.
According to estimates of international
aviation organizations,
the world aviation market will
have to employ over 250 thousand
new captains in the next 10
years. In Poland, more than 2,000
new pilots and aviation specialists
will be needed in that time.
This record demand poses a big
challenge for pilot training centers.
New, innovative career paths
at the helm and modern training
UnitedSky is a leading
aviation training centre
in Poland. It organizes
theoretical and practical
courses for private and
professional pilots, both
Polish and foreign. All
classes are conducted with
care to maintain the highest
standards, while meeting
the requirements of aviation
supervision.
systems are needed. Available
reports and analyses indicate
a change in trends in pilot training:
fewer and fewer now come
from the military or aeroclubs,
while more and more come from
courses organized by airlines and
independent, certified organizations.
UnitedSky's analysis shows that
future pilots are increasingly
opting for private schools that
guarantee high quality courses,
aircraft availability, individual
and friendly instructors and time
flexibility.
Parallel to the projected development
of airline aviation, we
note a large increase in interest
in flying private aircraft for business
and leisure purposes in the
country. Poles are beginning to
notice that private aircraft are
not only available to billionaires.
The purchase and operation of
an aircraft is a cost comparable
to maintaining a sports supercar
or luxury yacht.
Just 6-7 years ago, there were
about 400 private aircraft registered
in Poland, today there are
more than 1400. In the same period
of time, the number of private
helicopters has increased from 42
to nearly 200. Hence, we see in
UnitedSky an increasing demand
for PPL (Private Pilot Licence)
training. The potential for development
is huge: in the Czech Republic,
where almost four times
less people live than in Poland,
there are almost half more private
planes as in our country.
UnitedSky is a leading aviation
training centre in Poland. It organizes
theoretical and practical
courses for private and professional
pilots, both Polish and
foreign. All classes are conducted
with care to maintain the
highest standards, while meeting
the requirements of aviation
supervision. The effectiveness of
training provided by UnitedSky
is confirmed by the high pass
rate of exams.
We have our own fleet of aircraft
at our disposal. Currently
these are: Cessna 172 and 182,
Hummingbird 150 and 160 and
Beechcraft Baron. They will
be joined by Tecnam 2006 and
2008 soon. Additionally, we
have Alsim AL250 flight simulators
at the airport in Babice and
Alsim ALX in Ogonki in Masuria.
They can be used for PPL,
CPL, IR SE/ME and FI practical
trainings.
All UnitedSky trainings are conducted
with concern for safety
and maintaining the highest
standards, while meeting the
high requirements of aviation
supervision. They are open to
foreign customers with classes
in English. There is also the possibility
of individual training.
Both the cost of training and
maintenance are much lower
in Poland than in Western
countries. The complete cost of
training for a PPL – Private Pilot
Licence is 32k PLN, and for
a professional ATPL – Airline
Transport Pilot Licence is 170k
PLN. UnitedSky’s prices are
lower even by half in relation
to schools in Western countries.
Polish pilots are known around
the world for their high skills, so
the quality of training is at the
same level or even higher.
Increased interest in aviation studies
Why choose a training center in Poland?
Anna Konert
director of the Lazarski Aviation
Academy
The Boeing Company
predicts that by 2037 demand for
new pilots will have increased to
635,000, including over 146,000 in
Europe alone. Polish air traffic is
developing faster than in Europe
as a whole and has potential for
further growth. At the same time
pilots over 65 years old are slowly
retiring, freeing up space for new
ones. Interest in flight training is
steadily growing, also in Poland.
In March 2020, the COVID-19
pandemic immobilized the world
and the aviation sector, felt it
particularly acutely. According
to estimates by the International
Air Transport Association
(IATA), April saw a 90% drop in
revenue per passenger kilometer
(RPK) compared to the previous
year, and August saw a 75% decline.
This was a huge blow to the
industry, as well as for the major
European carriers. National
governments, however, stepped
in, offering significant economic
support.
EU supports aviation
Aviation is a sector of strategic
importance for the European Union.
Before the pandemic, it contributed
€300 billion (or about
2.1% of GDP) to the European
economy, providing more than 5
million jobs. The European aviation
strategy is an initiative to
stimulate the growth of European
businesses, foster innovation and
enable passengers to enjoy safer,
greener and more affordable
flights.
Growing stronger
As statistics show, the industry is
going from strength to strength.
Poles' travel plans have not been
thwarted by the pandemic. According
to a survey conducted by
the eSky.pl company in cooperation
with the Mobile Institute research
agency, as many as 77% of
Poles are not afraid to travel during
the coronavirus threat.
Pilot profession
Piloting studies prepare students
for a career in the international
aviation market and in airlines
around the world, as First Officers
and later as Captains. At
Łazarski University, students can
choose to study Aviation Law and
Professional Pilot License, which
is run by the Faculty of Law and
Administration. These are undergraduate
courses that last 6
semesters. All of the classes are
conducted in English. The lecturers
have an individual approach
to each student, among other
things, thanks to classes in small
groups. From the first year the
university provides internships,
which will take place in a professional
pilot training center - the
Goldwings Flight Academy. The
center has the required certificate
issued by the head of the Civil
Aviation Authority, allowing it
to conduct pilot training.
The study program is tailored to
meet the requirements of today's
job market. It teaches the theory
and practice necessary to obtain
an airline pilot license ATPL (A).
In addition, it focuses on the legal
aspects of civil aviation in the
European Union and globally,
the knowledge of which allows
students in the future not only to
perform the profession of a pilot,
but also to prepare to work in the
bodies and institutions of civil
aviation.
The frozen ATPL (A) license,
which graduates of Łazarski
University receive, enables them
to work as pilots of commercial
airliners, such as the Boeing 787
Dreamliner or the Airbus A320.
Graduates are also experts in aviation
law, thanks to which they
can also find work on the ground,
in law firms, companies and aviation
institutions.