Bristow, NCAT Partner On Manpower Dev

Bristow Helicopters and  Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) have entered into training pact to boost the development of manpower in the aviation sector.

Part of the multi-dollar helicopter training pact entails the support of Bristow to the aviation training institution to ensure smooth take-off of the helicopter pilots’ training in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters, Capt. Akin Oni said his company and NCAT had been enjoying robust relationship which led to the establishment of a ground school in NCAT where helicopter engineers were being trained.

He mentioned that his company had also assisted the college with some out. By doing this we will save the money we would have spent on foreign exchange and it is good that we are training them in Zaria.

He said that the first batch of five students would leave for Zaria for the flight training and they were expected to spend three to four months before proceeding to Florida to train as helicopter pilots.

“Each of the pilot will cost us $210,000 to $250,000 (N33.6 million to N40 million) and we hope that NCAT will develop their helicopter training to commercial pilot level”, he said.

Responding, the representative of the NCAT Rector, Capt. Abdulrahman Hassan said the school was excited about the partnership with Bristow Helicopters.

“We are looking at starting in September. We intend to establish satellite campuses in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and Minna. Facilities and personnel to operate the ground engineering training.

“Having succeeded with the training of engineers via the engineering school, we now want to go into the flying school. We spent a lot of money in the engineering school. In the past it has been a challenge to do flying training, but that’s because of the business we are in”.

“It’s helicopter operation and we mainly did out training in the United Kingdom and United States. So, this is a first step in building Nigerian content”.

Oni said he was happy when NCAT announced that it would commence helicopter pilot training in September this year as this would reduce the cost of training the pilots in foreign countries.

“This will be their first stage of training and then we will take them.