INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Aviation
CAE in Dallas, each operationally
experienced and certified by the
FAA in the aircraft for which they
are instructing, and the students
get the full benefit of a realistic
flight experience with a seasoned
coach by their side, pushing them to
always be better.
“Already we cover the
full career of a pilot,” explained
Leontidis. “We train young men
and women from the start of
their training, as cadets in one
of our nine flight academies,
all the way to becoming fullfledge airline, business jet or
helicopter pilots in one of our
training centers. We are proud
of the fact that our solutions
help make air travel safer.”
Leontidis explained that an
increased demand for training encouraged CAE to open an additional
business aviation training facility
east of D/FW International Airport,
CAE Dallas East, late last year.
“Last year, we celebrated
30 years in Dallas/Fort Worth
with our flagship business
aviation training centre, and
we are proud to continue its
success with the recent expansion of our training centre.
"Our new Dallas East training
facility expansion meets increased
customer demand and better serves
their needs. We have added three
popular programs, the Gulfstream
450/550 and King Air 350 and
Legacy to our Dallas training centre.
Both centers offer customers an
easy commute and an excellent
experience in and out of the classroom,” he said.
28
www.ntc-dfw.org
S
haring North Texas
‘LUV’ with the World
Have you been shown a
little Southwest Airlines
(NYSE: LUV) “luv” recently?
Chances are you, whether
you’re trying to get to a meeting or
vacation, have flown the Dallas-based airline. Based on the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s most
recent data, Southwest Airlines is
the nation’s largest carrier in terms
of originating domestic passengers
boarded. Southwest operates the
largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in
the world and annually trains the
8,000 pilots who take 100 million
passengers to the skies.
Training pilots in the Southwest
tradition is of paramount importance to the airline – and for a company that focuses on people – its
employees as well as its customers
– it’s no surprise that the human
component of aviation training
is important. In 2015, Southwest
completed the 2 1/2-year process of
transitioning pilots from AirTran, the
airline Southwest acquired in 2011,
to the Texas carrier. Doing so is indoctrination not just into the details
of the aircraft flying, but also into
the culture for which the company is
so well known.
“The difference is the culture,”
said Captain Randy Smith, senior
director of Training, Standards
& Procedures in Southwest’s Flight
Operations. “Our management
is very visible; we meet people at
the door.”
Smith explains that new hires to
Southwest, including the pilots new
to the airline from AirTran, undergo
an indoctrination process that helps
them understand the company’s
unique culture from the inside out.
FALL/WINTER 2015
Mor
e tha
n 14
,000
pilot
s des
cend
on N
orth
Texa
s
to tr
ain a
t CA
E.
New hires all have lunch with Gary Kelly, chairman of the board, president
and CEO of Southwest Airlines. For the first three days of orientation, the
new hire’s spouse is also invited to attend. There are deck parties, watching
planes take off and land from Dallas Love Field, cook-outs, spontaneous cookie drops during the work day and more. The halls of the Southwest Training
Center visually echo the history that has made the airline what it is today:
employees are invited to contribute memorabilia from their own lives to add
to the building’s walls, which includes everything from military uniforms
to wedding photos to art and other artifacts – whatever they consider memorable and special.
Southwest operates 10 simulators in the Training Center, utilizing the
skills of 80 ins