A new pilot training business is touching down at Red Deer Regional Airport.
Pitt Meadows, B.C.-based Canadian Aviation College is expanding its flight training operation to the region.
“This transition into central Alberta, with both single and twin-engine aircraft, will allow students and instructors from the college to take advantage of the diverse landscapes of the region, while utilizing the consistent winter weather of Alberta,” says a statement from the airport on Friday.
“As a student-oriented aviation training facility, the team at Canadian Aviation College focus on empowering their students to graduate with a higher level of experience and be better suited for employment in Canada.”
College president John Ling said they are awaiting final Transport Canada approval before starting operations.
The first four students are expected to arrive next month, and by February or March, he hopes to have 10 to 15 students training in Red Deer.
Ling said the company was drawn to Red Deer by the good flying weather in winter. In B.C., trainee pilots are often grounded by the rainy and poor conditions.
The airport predicts the new business will have a big economic impact in the region.
“Students with the Canadian Aviation College will live within central Alberta as they complete their studies, and this number of students will continue to grow year after year.
“Students are a huge economic driver for central Alberta, and we are so happy to see upwards of 100 students here with the Canadian Aviation College as we look to the future,” says airport CEO Graham Ingham.
“The airport has continued to remain busy throughout 2020, with essential service business and VIP traffic, and this addition of the airport’s third aviation school is a fantastic benefit to that economic impact.”
The Canadian Aviation College joins two pilot training schools, Sky Wings Aviation Academy and Montair Aviation, at the airport.