Being a pilot is charming and prestigious. Although becoming one requires passion, dedication, strength and of course a huge financial investment. The craze of becoming a pilot is gripping the youngsters in the Kingdom, though it is not only limited to boys. A number of Saudi females are also pursuing their flying courses abroad. Captain Hanadi Zakaria Al-Hindi is the first Saudi female pilot to fly high above the skies of Saudi Arabia. Aviation industry is growing rapidly in the Middle East. With an expected delivery of 5000 aircraft, in the coming five years, many experts forecast a global shortage of pilots. Most of them believe that nearly twice as many pilots will be required in the next 15 years. “I do not think we will need twice as many doctors, lawyers or accountants,” said David Trevelyan, CEO of Basair Aviation College, Sydney, Australia. In the Kingdom, many young students in Taif dream of becoming a pilot. They would like to jump into the captain's seat and fly around the world as the experience of it is so enchanting. Long back, many people were reluctant to become a pilot and join an airline. For some it sounded too good to be true while for others safety was the greatest fear. This skepticism has now been resolved with the advancement of state of the art equipments being used in aircraft, besides the fact that air travel has become the safest and fastest form of transportation in the world. Faisal Al-Otaibi, 23, is a student of English Language at Wall Street Institute-Taif. His ambition is to become a pilot. He is diligently learning English and intends to pursue his passion one day. Speaking to the Saudi Gazette Faisal Al-Otaibi said: “Since I was very young it was clear to me what I wanted to do in life. After finishing high school I was forced by family to enroll in a University, I knew I was not meant to be there. Now, that I have improved my English, it is only a matter of weeks before I start my training at a flying school near Jeddah, and a matter of months before I get my first flying license”. Ismail Al-Somali, another enthusiastic youngster, aspires to become a pilot and fly high in the sky. For him being a pilot is not merely an aim but a dream. “The idea of being a pilot has been in my mind since I boarded the plane for the first time,” said Al-Somali. “My heartbeat increased as we took off, not out of fear, but at the thought of flying an airplane. Soon, after graduating I wanted to start my training, though certain obstacles delay for an indefinite period of time. However, I did not give up and continued to collect information on the aviation industry. I became aware of numerous flight operations and their related studies.” Today, after waiting for almost 14 months, Al-Somali feels proud to have been accepted by the top-most University of Flight training in USA. “I have encountered some difficulties and know that it will not be easy to achieve this dream. Yet, I believe that studying aviation is only for those who love it and insist on moving forward no matter how tough it may become,” said Al-Somali. Now, his next challenge is to become a better and responsible pilot. While students are eager to achieve their goals, experts have a more realistic approach toward trainee pilots. A highly experienced British Aerospace Engineer expressed his views by saying: “It is not an easy path to become a pilot. We entrust our lives and that of our loved ones into the hands of a pilot, therefore, we rightly expect only the highest caliber of student to become a pilot. Hard work and dedication are the cornerstones of a pilot's education. They need to have a thorough understanding of the aircraft, aeronautical science, new technologies in aviation, meteorology and the international language of the skies “English”. Those who are accepted to train as pilots deserve our respect”. There are currently two flying academies in Saudi Arabia. Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy located in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia in the northwest of Jeddah. It is close to the coast of Red Sea and minutes away from King Abdullah Economic city, and the Saudi Aviation Flight Academy (SAFA) located at the Thumamah Airport near King Khaled International Airport, Riyadh. Both academies provide training to their students and teach them to fly commercial airplanes, too. The cost, obtaining a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) is approximately SR300,000. Some students believe that these fees are relatively higher than those of some flying academies abroad. However, training inside the Kingdom saves travel and accommodation costs apart from being close to trainees' families and friends. Another major problem faced by male pilots holding Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPL) is to get a good job. Some pilots believe that after obtaining a Commercial Pilot License they are entitled to a captain's job. To them being a pilot is nothing but travelling all over the world and living in expensive hotels for free. Airline companies, however, consider this as a big responsibility. Hundreds of lives are in one man's hands, and small mistakes have caused major accidents. For safety reasons major airlines require pilots to have at least flown 1500 to 2000 hours; they do not consider an applicant holding a Commercial Pilot License with only 300 hours of flying. As soon as new pilots obtain their Commercial Pilot License they need to start building hours. This is usually done in a number of ways such as flying tourists around, doing air surveys for different organizations or becoming a flight instructor. Pilots who have completed the stipulated required hours have more options, and major airlines feel comfortable in employing them. So, with patience, persistence and determination, one can sit in the cockpit of an aircraft, which is by far the best office in the world. __
