<p>As US airline pilots approach the federally mandated retirement age of 65, the country’s airline industry faces a shortage of pilots. There are conflicting views as to whether that shortage is actually global, but the US is feeling the pinch not just because there are quite a number reaching the retirement age, but also because the number of pilots moving from military to commercial flying is a good deal less than it used to be.</p>
<p>Reports forecast a global need for 804,000 pilots over the next 20 years, and airlines are already finding it hard to fill open positions. In the US this is exacerbated by the requirement for pilots to have flown for 1,500 hours before they enter the right-hand seat of a commercial aircraft as a First Officer.</p>
<p>To assist in the quest to deliver to the industry that amount of new pilots, Sterling Flight Training, a portfolio company of Wexford Capital (which once had regional airline investments in the US via the former Republic Airways Holdings subsidiary, Chautauqua Airlines), and Purdue University Global have announced a new professional pilot programme. It has been created in partnership with Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, thus expanding the reach of the University’s aviation programme to more students in other locations across the country.</p>
<p>The partners emphasise that the new programme is designed to get students flying immediately, thus shortening the timeline to professional pilot status in order to meet this demand. The multi-year agreement with Sterling Flight Training calls for additional training centres across the US as demand warrants.</p>
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<p>“At Sterling we are leveraging our decades of experience in airline operations to create future aviators that are job-ready,” explains Wayne Heller, CEO of Sterling and former COO of Republic Airways. “We are excited to partner our experience with Purdue’s distinguished professional pilot programme to develop the next generation of pilots.”</p>
<p>According to Purdue University Global, the programme combines the quality of West Layette’s flight training programme with the flexibility and affordability that the former has to offer.</p>
<p>“When this initiative was introduced last June, we knew that it was a great example of how Purdue Global and Purdue West Lafayette would and will continue to work together to create programmes that meet the needs of employers and students while leveraging both institutions’ key strengths,” adds Betty Vandenbosch, Purdue Global Chancellor. “Now, we are excited to add a premier flight school in Sterling Flight Training to complete the equation as we all work together to address an anticipated major pilot shortfall in the coming years.”</p>
<p>Purdue Global is administering the programme and expects to begin taking applications for the programme later this year, with more details about the launch to follow by the end of March.</p>
<p>Students accepted into the programme will complete their Bachelor of Science degree courses online through Purdue Global, which includes aviation and general education classes from Purdue Global’s current inventory, while completing flight training at Sterling Flight Training in Jacksonville, Florida.</p>
<p>As they progress from private pilot to certified flight instructor (CFI), graduates will have the foundation essential to serve as flight instructors and accrue additional flight experience required by airlines to get hired as an airline pilot. In particular, the flying they will be doing will be structured and not simply “punching holes in bright blue skies” as one airline CEO once described the route many take to reach 1,500 hours.</p>
<p>Upon reaching CFI status, participants enrolled in the programme can begin teaching fellow students and earn compensation for their work – in addition to those important flight hours – which can help with education costs and living expenses.</p>
<p>Currently Sterling provides flight training under Part 141, which is regulated by the US Federal Administration (FAA), and is approved by the Florida Veteran’s Affairs office to accept military benefits for education costs.</p>
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<p>Reports forecast a global need for 804,000 pilots over the next 20 years, and airlines are already finding it hard to fill open positions. In the US this is exacerbated by the requirement for pilots to have flown for 1,500 hours before they enter the right-hand seat of a commercial aircraft as a First Officer.</p>
<p>To assist in the quest to deliver to the industry that amount of new pilots, Sterling Flight Training, a portfolio company of Wexford Capital (which once had regional airline investments in the US via the former Republic Airways Holdings subsidiary, Chautauqua Airlines), and Purdue University Global have announced a new professional pilot programme. It has been created in partnership with Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, thus expanding the reach of the University’s aviation programme to more students in other locations across the country.</p>
<p>The partners emphasise that the new programme is designed to get students flying immediately, thus shortening the timeline to professional pilot status in order to meet this demand. The multi-year agreement with Sterling Flight Training calls for additional training centres across the US as demand warrants.</p>
<p><a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/register/"><img alt="Register with Flight Jobs" src="/getasset/a95f9bbd-4d54-40bd-91fb-e090dc9d5295/" /></a></p>
<p>“At Sterling we are leveraging our decades of experience in airline operations to create future aviators that are job-ready,” explains Wayne Heller, CEO of Sterling and former COO of Republic Airways. “We are excited to partner our experience with Purdue’s distinguished professional pilot programme to develop the next generation of pilots.”</p>
<p>According to Purdue University Global, the programme combines the quality of West Layette’s flight training programme with the flexibility and affordability that the former has to offer.</p>
<p>“When this initiative was introduced last June, we knew that it was a great example of how Purdue Global and Purdue West Lafayette would and will continue to work together to create programmes that meet the needs of employers and students while leveraging both institutions’ key strengths,” adds Betty Vandenbosch, Purdue Global Chancellor. “Now, we are excited to add a premier flight school in Sterling Flight Training to complete the equation as we all work together to address an anticipated major pilot shortfall in the coming years.”</p>
<p>Purdue Global is administering the programme and expects to begin taking applications for the programme later this year, with more details about the launch to follow by the end of March.</p>
<p>Students accepted into the programme will complete their Bachelor of Science degree courses online through Purdue Global, which includes aviation and general education classes from Purdue Global’s current inventory, while completing flight training at Sterling Flight Training in Jacksonville, Florida.</p>
<p>As they progress from private pilot to certified flight instructor (CFI), graduates will have the foundation essential to serve as flight instructors and accrue additional flight experience required by airlines to get hired as an airline pilot. In particular, the flying they will be doing will be structured and not simply “punching holes in bright blue skies” as one airline CEO once described the route many take to reach 1,500 hours.</p>
<p>Upon reaching CFI status, participants enrolled in the programme can begin teaching fellow students and earn compensation for their work – in addition to those important flight hours – which can help with education costs and living expenses.</p>
<p>Currently Sterling provides flight training under Part 141, which is regulated by the US Federal Administration (FAA), and is approved by the Florida Veteran’s Affairs office to accept military benefits for education costs.</p>
<hr />
<p>If you enjoyed reading this, then why not read our other articles? </p>
<p>- <a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/careers/">Careers Hub</a> </p>
<p>or select from the list of our latest articles below:</p>
<p>- <a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/article/use-the-pilot-apprenticeship-balpa-tells-airlines/">Use the pilot apprenticeship, BALPA tells airlines</a></p>
<p>- <a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/article/first-graduation-for-estonian-aviation-academy-apprenticeship-programme-more-wanted/" itemprop="url">First graduation for Estonian Aviation Academy apprenticeship programme – more wanted</a></p>
<p>- <a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/article/life-as-a-captain-in-the-philippines/" itemprop="url">Life as a Captain in the Philippines</a></p>