Air Georgian and Air Canada have created an exciting airline pilot training and development program targeting young Canadians who may be interested in a flying career. Becoming a pilot can be a daunting challenge, and not simply because the sky is not our natural element. The cost of flight training can be quite high and this, coupled with the uncertainty involved in establishing a career, can make even highly motivated individuals think twice about aviation as a profession. Recognizing this, Air Georgian and Air Canada have partnered to develop our Cadet Program as a way of encouraging young Canadians to enter aviation.
Air Georgian has operated regional airline flights on behalf of Air Canada in addition to its private jet charter services for thirteen years and is a part of the Air Canada Express family. Under our Cadet Program, a select group of young Canadians with no flying experience will be provided with conditional offers of employment from both Air Georgian and Air Canada. Once selected following a rigorous screening process, these individuals will be sent as a group to the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida where they will, over a ten-month period, be trained as professional pilots. Upon successful completion of the course at the FlightSafety Academy, the Cadet Program pilots will be hired as First Officers at Air Georgian and will undergo training on the Beechcraft 1900D regional airliner. These pilots will spend a minimum of four years flying for Air Georgian and, in that time, will build up approximately 3000 hours of flying time.
Upon completion of four years of employment at Air Georgian, these young pilots will then be hired by Air Canada on either the first, second or third new hire intake after that date. Air Georgian’s offers of employment will be conditional upon the students’ successfully completion of the FlightSafety Academy course. Air Canada’s offers of employment will be conditional upon the Cadet Program graduates maintaining a good employment record while working for Air Georgian (with very clear and reasonably set expectations). The students will have to pay for their initial training at the FlightSafety Academy, but Air Georgian and Air Canada will cover all subsequent flight training. In addition, Air Georgian and Air Canada have been able to secure excellent financial terms with the Academy, not necessarily available to individual flight training applicants.
The Cadet Program will be a win/win proposition for everyone involved. The students know they will have an initial job waiting for them at the end of their flight training and also know they will have an excellent opportunity to secure employment with one of the premier airlines in the world only a few short years later. Air Georgian and Air Canada win by securing another stream of high quality pilot recruits. The first intake of Cadet Program recruits will begin their 44-week course at Vero Beach in September 2013 and Air Georgian will plan to hire successful applicants from this group by August 2014. The selection process for this first group will begin shortly and we are looking forward to getting started.
For more information about the Cadet Program please visit our website at http://www.clearedfortakeoff.ca.



