Integrated Training
Our integrated flight training is an intense full-time, 2-year program in which the students complete the Integrated Commercial Pilot License/ Multi-Engine / Instrument Rating Training.
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This is the usual training path for airline cadets (airline sponsored) and it is also the recommended training path for those who plan to self-finance their training and which to fly for an airline one day.
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All of the ground school (theory) and most of the flying will be conducted at our main base in Vientiane, Laos. At the end of the course, our students spend approximately 2 months in BC, Canada to get the flight experience to pass the Multi-Engine Class Rating and the Multi-Engine Instrument Rating flight tests.
Students are then ready to apply to the airline as a ready-entry pilots and begin type rating training with them.
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As for the ATPL training, our students have the option of completing the required ground school add-on before joining the airline or completing it later while already working for the airline.
Notes: PPL = Private Pilot License; CPL = Commercial Pilot License; SEIR = Single-Engine Instrument Rating; MECR = Multi-Engine Class Rating; MEIR = Multi-Engine Instrument Rating; ATPL = Airline Transport Pilot License. For more details, see below.
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Our integrated program is designed to give you 191 h flight time in the airplane total (single-engine 170, plus multi-engine 21) with an additional 50.8 h in the simulator.
Total time spent in ground school from ab-initio to ATPL is 650 hours.
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Here is a breakdown of the flight and simulator hours:
The 7 steps of our Integrated Training
Start with your own research about the life of a pilot and about the kind of flying you would like to do. Many dream of flying for an airline. Try to meet and talk to pilots from that airline and ask them every single question you can possibly think off. Find out what the airline requirements are. Some airline have extra, special requirements. For example minimum and maximum heights, BMI requirements, not wearing glasses, no tattoos, not older than 25, etc.
Then examine yourself and ask your family and friends. What is your motivation? Is it big enough to weather the rigors of flight training? How good is your English? Are you quite fluent? Do you like to learn new things? Do you like working with machines? Are you intrigued by new technology? Can you work under pressure? You can expect many tests and examinations, not only when you are a student, but throughout your pilot career. Can you stay calm in an emergency? Can you work well in a team with other people? Do you live a healthy life-style? Are you able to say no to drinking alcohol the day before and the days you are working?
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Step 1: CAFTC Selection
Before we enlist you into our intense, full-time, 2-year program, we want to make sure that you are able to keep up with the pace of the group. This is a critical first step to help make sure that the flight hours and cost estimates will remain close to the target. Our integrated program is designed to be completed in 191 flight hours.
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During our tests we will look at your physical and mental aptitude as well as your character and help you decide if an airline career, during which you will be responsible for many lives, is the right choice for you.
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Our Aptitude Testing consist of several stages, you must pass each stage to advance to the next stage.
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In the first stage we start by assessing your English (speaking, understanding, reading and writing), Math (mental) & Science abilities, your Character, and various other mental abilities as well as your physical fitness.
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In the second stage you will complete four training sessions, two in the simulator and two in the airplane. If you pass this stage we will accept you into our Integrated Flight Training.
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Step 2: PPL
You will begin your Integrated Training with our Aviation Career Preparation Course (ACPC). This course consists of the The Aviation Career Preparation Course consists of the PPL ground school, Aviation English classes and a few other classes such as "Best Study Practices" class and "Cessna 172" class.
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Parallel to the ACPC you will begin flight training and learn to operate the airplane according to Visual Meteorological Rules (VFR). The first three months of this stage are a probational period. Our staff will do everything they can to help you be successful! However, learning only happens through your own doing and through your own motivation to excel. During this period of time we will look closely how you cope with the training.
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It may sound a bit daunting to be scrutinized so closely over several months, but this is for your benefit! Flight Training is expensive and failure hurts.
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This stage would still be a good time for you to stop should you discover that this career is not for you after all. At this stage of training your expenses will still be minimal.
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If we overlooked something in the aptitude testing of Step 1, we want to catch it now in the early stages of Step 2 of the Integrated Flight Training.
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At the end of Stage 2 you will have around 66h of total flight time and completed 270 h of in-class ground school, 720 h of structured self-study time plus uncounted hours of extra homework and flight briefings.
You can expect to pass the PPL flight test close to 9 to 12-months into your training.
The PPL is a major step towards becoming a commercial pilot.
Step 3: Night endorsement & Time-building
In this phase you will complete a 15h ground school for the night endorsement and 110h of ground school for the CPL and about 700h of structured self-study time.
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In this stage of training you will gain additional experience and learn to fly the airplane at night, over longer distances to new destinations and you will be introduced to new flight maneuvers like the "Chandelle" or "Eights-On-Pilons".
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You will also build your Pilot-In-Command (PIC) time and conduct cross-country flights to several new destinations.​
Step 4: SEIR
In this phase of your training, you will learn to fly and navigate the airplane in "instrument meteorological conditions" (IMC), or in other words, in very low visibility or cloud.
You will learn to fly according to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), how to fly standard Instrument departure procedures, navigate, fly instrument arrivals and approaches down to minima, conduct missed approach procedures and enter instrument holding patterns.
You will learn to depart, navigate and approach using the NDB, VOR and GNSS. You will also practice ILS CAT I approaches.
You will spend 90 h in ground school to learn all the required theory for the single-engine instrument rating.
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Step 5: CPL
At the end of this Step you will be at 170h of total flight time, over 480h of ground school, and over 1,400h into your training and almost there!
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You can expect to pass the CPL flight test close to 18-months into your training.
As a commercial pilot you are ready to join an airline, be captain of any airplane requiring single-crew or ready to begin type rating training for any airplane requiring two crew.
Usually, airlines fly larger and more complex airplanes with more than one engine and so our Integrated Flight Training continues.
Step 6: MECR, MEIR
In this phase of training you will spend 25h in multi-engine ground school and another 35h in instrument ground school with a focus on multi-engine airplanes, Canadian airspace and instrument rules plus approximately 200h of structured self-study time.
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You will conduct the ground school required for these ratings here in Laos and then we will send you to Canada where you will conduct the practical portion of the flight training towards the Multi-Engine Class Rating and the Multi-Engine Instrument Rating on a Piper Seneca, a small twin.
You are now ready to join the airline. If accepted, they will arrange for your type rating training for the airplane you get assigned to.
Step 7: ATPL (Optional Add-On)
Our ATPL add-on theory course is optional.
It prepares you for the two regulator exams that are one of the prerequisites for upgrading to captain. You will study 105h in ground school preparing you for the 9 modules of two DCAL exams.
Once you’ve completed the knowledge tests, you have 7 years to gain the required experience.
It will take you several years to get the required experience, that is sufficient flight hours to meet the minimum licensing requirements.
You can also join the airline first and return later for this ground school.​​
