New Flight School Offers Bursaries

[Skeptik]

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Date: 01 Feb 2007
Title: Black-owned aviation school gives R2, 5m bursaries
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By Nozipho Dlamini, tel: (012) 314-2214

In an attempt to close the skills gap in the aviation industry in the country, a black-owned aviation school is giving away bursaries to 50 deserving students.

According to the owner of Selebalo Aviation School, Felix Selebalo, flying is one of the safest forms of travel, and South Africa's air safety record is one of the best in the world.

"Part of ensuring that air safety is maintained is the supply of qualified and skilled personnel who carry out the necessary tasks," said Mr Selebalo.

He said the skills shortage within the aviation industry in the country was a major concern.

"Many organisations are struggling to find suitably qualified personnel. Our training institution aims to assist in closing the skills gap," he said.

The institution is giving away 10 bursaries in pilot training, 30 in airhostess training and 10 in maintenance training.

"The selection criterion is preferably opened to young black males and females aged between 18 to 35 years old," he said.

The suitable candidates will train in Limpopo and Gauteng, where they will be provided with accommodation.

In addition, the requirement for applicants is a grade 12 certificate, with no specific subject however; mathematics will be an added bonus.

The training school is established to introduce more young black individuals into the current predominantly white industry.

It is the only black owned flight school in South Africa offering various courses.

"Encouraging fresh blood into the industry will only be achieved by providing personnel with credible qualifications.

"We will produce well-qualified, skilled people the industry needs to fill the skills shortage or to develop existing staff for more challenging and responsible roles," said Mr Selebalo.

Mr Selebalo is one of only four qualified and accredited black instructors in the country.

The selection process starts this month and training will commerce in March for four months.

Interested parties can call Selebalo Aviation School at: 083- 916- 6445. - BuaNews

http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=07020112451001&coll=buanew07

 

[kilos]

Knowing how expensive flight training is, he must have some
serious financial backing to give that quantity away, plenty
of rebates for training if you know how to claim them.

 

[Skeptik]

Right. It will set them back around R50,000 for each student pilot just to get them to the Private Pilot's Licence stage.

 

[telkomsuig]

Lol imagine the same article by a white flight school offering scholarships for deserving white students

 

[BobbyMac]

Right. It will set them back around R50,000 for each student pilot just to get them to the Private Pilot's Licence stage.

It costs a private person about 120k ~ 180k to get a CPL. It costs a school that owns its own planes and has access to its own simulators a lot lot less.

Getting licenses privately are expensive due to the cost of spending time in the air.

He does need some serious backing though.

 

[xtermin8or]

Lol imagine the same article by a white flight school offering scholarships for deserving white students

this is why, it is preferrably for young blacks

The training school is established to introduce more young black individuals into the current predominantly white industry.

 

[Rooinek]

Lol imagine the same article by a white flight school offering scholarships for deserving white students

Young baas, the aim is to introduce young blacks to an industry that is already predominantly white. Please read before rushing to conclusions.

 

[Snoekie]

Well the flyin schools have always had deserving white students...in SA..that has been for as long as we've had airlines...it's only now that a few deserving black students get a chance..and mayb time a few people got some perspective..

 

[telkomsuig]

Relax people it was not meant to be a serious comment... would just be funny to see the public reaction if it was a white school giving bursaries to deserving white students

 

[kilos]

Young baas, the aim is to introduce young blacks to an industry that is already predominantly white.

Yep an older white not young population trained by SAAF

 

[Skeptik]

Young baas, the aim is to introduce young blacks to an industry that is already predominantly white. Please read before rushing to conclusions.

So what if most pilots are white. Do black people fly differently? Not that I can see ... Why this obsession with changing the demographics of certain professions?

 

[marine1]

Actually i flew air Mozambique (LAM) and it was the worst flights i have ever had in my life. 4 flights in total - all black pilots and i thought we were going to crash all 4 times