by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Mar 1, 2017 | Featured
Alpha Aviation Group, a leading pilot training provider in the Asia-Pacific, is pursuing its investment into pilot training by signing a financing agreement with BDO Leasing & Finance. The agreement covers the acquisition of a brand new Airbus A330 Full Flight Simulator, the first wide-body simulator in the Philippines and the latest simulator with Airbus A340 functionality built globally. The covenant between AAG and BDOLF comes at a time of tremendous growth now being seen in Southeast Asia’s airline industry, as demand for commercial pilots surpasses the current supply. Recently, Boeing has forecasted that 617,000 more commercial pilots will be needed globally by 2034, with 248,000 (40%) required across Southeast Asia. “BDO Leasing is truly excited with our partnership with Alpha Aviation Group being one of the leading global pilot training providers. It comes at an opportune time when the Philippines and the ASEAN Region, as a whole, is poised to economically grow faster than other countries in the world. We thank Alpha Aviation Group for establishing Clark Pampanga as its main training hub because this will increase the number and improve the skills of Filipino pilots. Further, the simulator will be available to neighboring countries that are increasing its fleet of Airbus A330 & A340,” said Roberto Lapid, President of BDO Leasing & Finance. For AAG’s part, finance manager Christine Legaspi, said, “The addition of the A330 full flight simulator with A340 option marks not only a significant milestone in the growth of Alpha Aviation Group but also our company’s timely collaboration with BDO, the Philippines’ biggest bank, toward a shared goal that is to support the aviation sector development....
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Dec 6, 2016 | Featured
Alpha Aviation Group is pursuing its investment into pilot training, with the purchase of the latest multimillion dollar Airbus A330 Full Flight Simulator with Airbus A340 functionality from CAE Commercial Flight Training. The Airbus A330/340 Full Flight Simulator will be placed at Alpha Aviation Group Philippines based in Clark, Philippines, approximately an hour’s drive away from the country’s capital, Manila. The newest investment was made to support the wide body segment, lower the cost of training of domestic and regional airlines, and support Philippines’ economic growth. This type of simulator will be the first wide body simulator in the Philippines and the latest simulator with Airbus A340 functionality built globally. It will simulate all the functions of a real Airbus A330 aircraft and has the flexibility to change to Airbus A340 layout when required by an airline. The acquisition of the simulator is in line with the fast-paced growth within the Southeast Asian airline industry, with demand for commercial pilots far outstripping supply. Boeing has recently forecast that 617,000 more commercial pilots will be needed globally by 2034, with 248,000 (40%) required across Southeast Asia. The Southeast Asia’s wide body fleet grew by more than 30% in 2015 and Alpha Aviation Group is committed to supporting this airline growth with training and training infrastructure. The Airbus A330/340 Full Flight simulator will serve as an invaluable training tool for Alpha Aviation Group Philippines’ domestic and foreign cadets and airline partners. Alpha Aviation Group is well positioned to assist the regional airlines in their aggressive expansion plans. The latest investment is a commitment from AAG to continue supporting the regional airline industry. The announcement was...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Oct 10, 2016 | Featured
A peek inside the A320 Simulator Alpha Aviation Group (“AAG”), a leading provider of aviation training solutions for the global airline industry, continues its investments into one of its platforms AAG Philippines by investing in its advanced training infrastructure. AAG Philippines has taken delivery and will commence training on a state of the art Airbus A320 Fixed Base Simulator acquired from simulator manufacturer Multi Pilot Simulation. The multi-million dollar MPS advanced A320 Fixed Base Simulator, the first to be operated in the southeast Asian region, simulates all the functions found onboard a real A320 aircraft and will offer leading regional airlines an alternative solution to existing training infrastructure. In recent years the A320 has become aircraft of choice for many regional carriers, including AirAsia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. The A320 simulator, which will be fully operational and in use from November onwards, will serve as an invaluable training tool for Alpha Aviation Group Philippines 240 cadets and airline partners. The acquisition of the simulator comes at a time of tremendous growth within the southeast Asian airline industry, with demand for commercial pilots far outstripping supply. Boeing has recently forecast that 617,000 more commercial pilots will be needed globally by 2034, with 248,000 (40%) required across the South-East Asia region. Industry players have been investing into the region for the past couple of years with the most recent opening being the Airbus Training Center in Singapore. The trend is the airline industry has been to choose established and experienced players and Alpha Aviation Group is well positioned to assist the regional airlines in their aggressive expansion plans. The latest...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Jun 13, 2016 | Featured
Instructors play a vital role in shaping the future of aviation. Through their teaching, through the wisdom they instill, and through their sharing of insights gathered from years in the industry, they are responsible for producing the next generation of pilots and aviation leaders. We take a look at some of Alpha Aviation Group’s flight instructors to discover their personal insights about flight training, the aeronautics industry and what it takes to be a successful commercial airline pilot. Mr. Matutina is the Chief Ground School Instruction at the Alpha Aviation Group Philippines campus. He is also in charge of the Air Law, Meteorology and Radio Communications courses included in the various programs. Professional Experience Can you give us a short background of your professional career in the aviation industry? I am a Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Technology graduate from Philippine Air Transport and Training Services (PATTS). I am an Air Force enlisted personnel. I was a weather observer for 3 years and a weather forecaster for 9 years. In 2005, I joined the rank of Air Traffic Control (ATC) when the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) needed qualified ATC personnel coming from the military. In 2008, I was transferred to the Clark Tower in Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, where I received a civilian aerodrome rating. In 2011, we received guidance from the military, recalling us from ATC duties back to the Air Force. I then opted for early retirement and joined AAG as a radio communications instructor. Can you tell us more about your experience in the Air Traffic Control tower? In Clark, which is...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Mar 21, 2016 | Featured
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts that there will be 7.3 billion airline passengers by 2034, representing a 4.1% average annual growth over the next two decades. Interestingly, a bulk of that traffic will come from developing markets such as Africa, South America, and especially Asia, with China on track to dethrone the U.S. as the largest passenger market by 2030. As IATA Director General Tony Taylor boldly predicted: “The first century of air travel has seen about 65 billion passengers take to the sky. The next 65 billion will fly in just the next 20 years” Growth in Pilot Demand in Southeast Asia and Beyond Airlines are increasing their crew to meet the growing demand for air travel. As air travel becomes more mainstream, airlines will continue expanding their fleets to accommodate the passenger influx. This in turn provides golden opportunities to those who want to enter the aviation industry. In the Asia Pacific region alone, Boeing predicts that 226,000 new pilots will be needed, while another 332,000 will be required by airlines in the rest of the world. Fast, Sustainable Aircrafts More and more airlines are turning to environment-friendly jet aircrafts. The drastic increase in flight frequency and aircraft numbers will also have a corresponding environmental impact. To address this, carriers are investing in modified aircraft designs like the Airbus A350-900 that utilizes lighter, innovative materials to decrease weight and fuel consumption. The increased fuel efficiency also means fewer connecting flights as fuel pit stops will be kept to a minimum. Return of Supersonic Flights? Supersonic flights might just be making a comeback. When Concorde closed...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Dec 7, 2015 | Featured
Women pilots on the rise in the Philippines CNN’s Andrew Stevens follows a fully certified pilot as she prepares for a flight and joins a cadet at a training academy where more and more women are enrolling to seize this new opportunity in the aviation...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Nov 18, 2015 | Featured
The glass cockpit is an industry standard technology utilized in modern aircrafts. Originating in military aircraft in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the glass cockpit is a state-of-the-art electronic system of control and digital avionics. Since its inception, it has changed the aeronautic landscape and has enabled aviators to operate an aircraft in a more convenient, efficient, and safe manner. Equipped in aircrafts used by most commercial airlines, an operational and systematic understanding of the glass cockpit facilitates immediate employment among pilots, as well as a lasting career in the aviation industry. Understanding the Glass Cockpit The glass cockpit provides improved aircraft operations and navigation through its Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), a flight deck display setup that replaced the traditional dials found in what the industry called as “steam cockpit” that used to rely on mechanical gauges. Through individual primary flight screens, the Captain and the First Officer obtain access to aircraft status and various vital and pertinent information, such as attitude, heading, altitude, airspeed, lateral/vertical path, engine power, selected course, and navigation. Additionally, the glass cockpit includes a Multifunction Display LCD that relays supplementary data such as radio management, aircraft systems, engine instruments, checklists, flight plan, terrain, traffic information, charts, traffic and weather, and wind direction and speed. To provide supplementary information and function to the aircraft’s glass cockpit, Boeing developed the Engine-Indicating and Crew-Alerting System (EICAS), an integrated system that includes all engine instrumentation with crew advisory, caution, warning, and alert messages. In addition, Airbus developed the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) system as support to EICAS. Designed to decrease pilot stress during emergency and...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Nov 3, 2015 | Featured
Comprehensive and effective cadet pilot training is a vital solution to the pressing and growing problem of airport congestion. With specialized and thorough courses, pilots are equipped with the knowledge, skill, insight and experience crucial to the improvement of airport operations and runway processes, thus reducing airstrip traffic, delayed flights, additional expenses and customer complaints. Here are some ways flight training can help ease the widespread congestion problems airlines encounter at airports. Pilots with significant flight training communicate better with air traffic control Communication between pilots and air traffic control (ATC) tower is an integral part of airport operations. To facilitate safe and efficient runway traffic, ATC operators provide directions to pilots who navigate complex layouts and intersecting runways. Additionally, ATC operators also provide information about the surrounding airspace and handle the clearance delivery of every aircraft in the airport. With proper training, pilots acquire an understanding of the control tower language, including radio communications and flight procedures. Since English is the required medium of communication in the aviation industry, it is imperative that commercial pilots are well-versed in the language when interacting with the air traffic control tower. For aspiring pilots who are not native English speakers, training at Alpha Aviation Group (AAG) is beneficial as cadets and instructors train and work on an all English speaking campus. AAG’s curriculum and community provides cadets with the best academy to acquire the necessary language and communication skills that would be highly beneficial to their career as an airline pilot. On top of its English-based curriculum, Alpha Aviation Group also ensures that every pilot is equipped with the...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Oct 30, 2015 | Featured
As with any profession, overall knowledge requires experience and repetition. As every commercial pilot knows, success does not come without completing intense and extensive training. While all commercial pilots must clock in logged hours in order to earn their licenses, not all training courses are made equal. To truly succeed in the commercial airline industry, aspiring pilots also need to learn on the most accurate and advanced types of equipment. Training on modern aviation apparatus allows cadets to acquire skills and experience necessary to handle crucial situations when they are in the cockpit. Alpha Aviation Group (AAG) addresses this requirement through its Level D Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator. Approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the only one of its kind in the Philippines, this state-of-the-art equipment, along with AAG’s extensive training programs and experienced crew of instructors and professionals, enable a pilot to maximize their potential and gain the technical skills and experiential insights needed for immediate employment as an airline pilot. Read on to discover how AAG’s Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator provides pilots with relevant and efficient training necessary to be a successful commercial pilot. The A320 Simulator facilitates better learning for pilots The A320 Full Flight Simulator was designed and manufactured to replicate the exact technology and flying characteristics of an Airbus A320, the most widely used aircraft in the Asia Pacific region. The simulator does not only feature the aircraft’s modern avionic displays and instruments, it also facilitates the full flight experience and movement of its namesake. The A320 Full Flight Simulator also enables a more hands-on approach to skill-based...
by Keziah Cyrene Garcia | Oct 20, 2015 | Featured
The complex and dynamic nature of the aviation industry requires airlines to constantly adhere to new policies and regulations. In commercial aviation, one of the additions to facilitate a safer flight is the Multi-Crew Pilot environment. To complement this environment, the Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL) was introduced. The MPL program is the first competency-based training established by the International Civil Aviation Association (ICAO). In its very essence, it was designed specifically for a crew co-piloting an aircraft. In the past, traditional training focuses mainly on independent flying. While this training method indeed improves a pilot’s competencies, the changing aviation environment demands more options that further strengthen flight safety. MPL training, which Alpha Aviation Group has pioneered, addresses this issue and enables pilots to effectively pilot and co-pilot a jet aircraft. In this post, we discuss the many advantages of the MPL program. MPL training improves flight safety To further mitigate the risk of human factor errors in a flight, MPL training prioritizes safety principles such as Threat and Error Management (TEM) and Crew Resource Management (CRM) at every phase of training. Developed by human factors researchers, TEM offers an effective, flexible, and intuitive framework for practical risk management. In addition, TEM also promotes an overall positive culture of safety in an airline and in its crew. CRM, on the other hand is a training management protocol that originated from a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) workshop. With a focus on improving air safety, CRM deals with the primary factors that cause human errors, including interpersonal communication problems and decision making skills. CRM training also includes exercises to enhance...
