ASL attracts prospective flight, engineering students

Domestic airline, Air Services Limited (ASL), in an effort to display its Flight and Engineering School hosted an Open Day/Career Fair on Friday at its hangar at the Eugene F Correia Airport at Ogle, East Coast Demerara. The day was aimed at making persons aware of the services offered and benefits of joining the aviation industry.
President of the National Air Transport Association (NATA) and ASL representative, Annette Arjoon-Martins, explained that when persons visit the open day they would be able to sign up immediately for classes starting in September or in January of 2018.

“What the open day is about is to have both parents and potential students to come here, learn about the pilot course as well as the engineering course and of course sign up for the next class which should be staring very soon,” she said.
“What we have done as well is to have a very practical hands-on set up, where the students could go into the Cessna 172 with one of the flight instructors, get a feel for the aircraft they will be learning to fly on. Similarly we have also a Robinson 44 helicopter which is also the training aircraft for helicopter pilots,” the aviation veteran added.
Arjoon-Martins said that the aviation sector has grown tremendously over the past years and lauded the ASL for having the only flight and engineering school, under one roof, in Guyana.
The Aeronautical Engineering School specialises in ab-initio and modular training tailored to the Guyana Aviation Requirements (GARs) part 3 and the British Civil Airworthiness Requirements (BCAR) section L. The training gives applicants a thorough practical experience on the country’s most diverse fleet of fixes and rotor-wing aircrafts. This, coupled with intensive theoretical preparation, provides a strong foundation that propels the student towards the acquisition of their Guyana Civil Aviation Authority’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence. The training programmes guarantees you the training recognised in the international aviation industry.
The Flight School offers high-quality modular training which enables the student the control to structure their courses to fit their goals, while also offering the Private Pilot Licence – which is the first stage of flight training; the Instrument Ration – which is the second stage and gives the pilot the authority to evaluate the weather and the Commercial Pilot Licence – which allows one to fly commercial aircrafts.
Flight Instructor, Captain Rebecca Clarke, said the courses offered are similarly structured and include the completion of both practical and theory assessments. She added that for one to become commercially licensed they would have to complete all three of the courses.
Engineering student, Devia Tamradhwaj, said that she joined the ASL team as an intern and subsequently hired as a trainee engineer. She now is a second year student of the Aeronautical Engineering School, with just one year remaining before she is certified.
“I was interested in airplanes since I was in Form One. I like doing mechanical work; I prefer practical hands on more than sitting in an office,” the former Central High School student related.
“I came here and I started as work study student and I guess the way I worked and the interest I showed caught the attention of the seniors and I am fully employed at Air Services as a trainee aircraft mechanic,” she adds.
The Open Day/Career Fair is an annual attraction ASL puts on and it offers knowledge of the aviation sector and career opportunities. This year they teamed up with Scotia Bank who offered financial aid to prospective students.