Air New Zealand trains Indonesian pilots

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 11

Air New Zealand trains Indonesian pilots

Air New Zealand has successfully trained eight Indonesian pilots to their commercial licence stage. They were presented with their licences at a ceremony in Christchurch by Mr R. L. Jermyn, the Director of External Aid for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which assisted the training scheme. The pilots have been away from their home for a year now, and still have five months before completion of their training which involves 20 hours flying, ground training, and the gaining of their instrument ratings. For the men, aged between 21 and 26, it has meant a year in which, as well as intensive pilot training, they have had to adjust to the New Zealand w r ay of life. On their arrival they did two four-week courses in the English language, especially in aeronautical terminology. Trying to speak good English and the cooler cli-

mate were problems that some of the men said they had to face, although the cold does not seem to have affected the recreational activities of others who indulge in iceskating each week. The pilots had jpreviously had a little air experience with Merpati Nusantara Airlines in Indonesia, where they will work when they return. They will fly Twin Otter aircraft, which carry 18 passengers. Indonesia, made up of over 1000 islands, uses these aircraft, because of their short take-off and landing ability. Indonesia has an air training school but it is not adequate to cope with the number who wish to train as pilots. Mr Robert Davidson, training services manager for Air New Zealand, said that although this was the first group of trainee pilots to start from the beginning, pilots from ' many countries including India, Malaysia, Singapore,

Australia, Brunei, New Guinea, Samoa, Canada and Alaska, as well as pilots for Air Nauru, had been trained in Christchurch. “We are competing on an open market where the quality of training, and the price must be right,” he said. Air New Zealand will have a sales mission to New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, and a number of African countries, including Libya and Tunisia, in August. Further trainees from the national Garuda Airlines of Indonesia were expected to train in Christchurch after the present course finished in October. Mr Marjuni, Minister at the Indonesian Mission in Wellington, was at the ceremony to commend the pilots and tell them of their important part in Indonesia’s future as a lifeline between all the islands.