Politika Daily – Algerian students fly above Vršac

More than one hundred foreign students at Aviation Academy had final exam.

Politika Daily – Algerian students fly above Vršac

29.06.2013

Pilots before a demonstration flight in Vrsac (Photo Beta)

Vrsac – All those present yesterday at final skill test of the new generation of pilots, mostly from abroad, could ensure themselves that SMATSA Aviation Academy at Vrsac has a reputation of the second  best institution of its kind in Europe. This “test of maturity ” was watched with great interest by the ambassadors from their countries – Palestine, Algeria, Angola, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and the Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Congo, Guinea, Libya, Syria and Nigeria.

The smiling faces of young pilots in the first group, 47 of them from Algeria, testify that their two-day “final exam” was not hard at all. As pointed out by authorities in Vrsac Academy, success rate of foreign cadets is extremely high, because they are all true enthusiasts of the blue heights. A successful career awaits all of them upon completion the training at Academy not only in their countries but all around the world. The Academy’s best guarantees are more than 2,000 predecessors, who completed the academy back since 1954, when the Academy started working. Training lasts between one and 2.5 years, and costs 40,000 Euros. Nevertheless, the demand is still high, because the training is up to five times cheaper than abroad.

Accompanied by their instructors, young Algerians enter the aircraft and soon all 20 U.S. “Cessna” in the air of Vrsac, started gliding through the 1,700 square kilometers which belong exclusively to Vrsac Academy for training their cadets. It is something that very few academies in the world have, our hosts emphasize. They currently have 170 students, of which 101 are from abroad. Besides the quality of training at all levels, also board and lodging is available. Diploma of the Academy allows the co-pilot job in all global companies, without taking additional tests and exams.

A pilot and an instructor in “Cessna” aircraft (Photo Tanjug)

Accompanied by cheerful diplomats, we observe the Algerians how they first slowly circle around Vrsac hills, and then start with a demonstration of skills acquired during the past year. They touch the concrete runway with the wheels without stopping, but immediately take-off again. They come back again at an altitude of 1.000 feet in a few minutes after the exercises, which include training for emergency situations like emergency engine shutdown during flight, and other “routine” operations. As we found out yesterday, no one failed the skill test.

Slobodan Cvijan, SMATSA Managing Director (Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA llc), said that the first flight over the Vrsac hills took place exactly 101 years ago, that gliders have been in operation since 1934, while the school itself began operations two decades later, as the Federal Aviation Centre in Yugoslavia. Since 1972, the Academy has become the official JAT Pilot School. We currently have 20 modern aircraft type “Cessna”, of which eight are brand new, imported six months ago from the U.S. ” We have the most advanced technology and equipment, and we are authorized to perform training for 15 different types of licenses,” said Mr Cvijan.

His Excellency the Ambassador of Palestine Mohammed Khalil Nabhan, who is the doyen among diplomats from Arab countries in Belgrade, said that SMATSA Aviation Academy is highly regarded in their countries. “A large number of my countrymen was educated here, and now fly around the world. We will try to establish a comprehensive cooperation not only with this institution but also with the Serbian economy as a whole,” said the Ambassador of Palestine in the perfect Serbian language.

 
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