THE EASTERN CAPE is becoming an international hub for pilot training. Such is the demand for training by local and foreign pilots that a new flight school has been opened at the Port Elizabeth airport. The Airline Pilot Trainee Centre (Aptrac) is purpose-built to ensure trainee pilots are exposed to a realistic simulation of a commercial flying environment. The entrance to the centre is a professional reception area similar to any flight dispatch counter at an airport. At the counter students will file flight plans, check the fuel requirements of an aircraft, obtain a weather report, check the technical status of the aircraft and check on the goods that the plane will be carrying. This will be the nerve centre of Aptrac. The centre is equipped with a flight simulator room with an Icarus IPT 200 approved trainer, a flight briefing and debriefing room, an exam room, board room and lecture room. The lecture room is equipped with a video, TV, DVD and Microsoft Power Point projector to assist lecturers. A coffee lounge with a view over the airport has been provided for on the second floor. It has television, video and Internet facilities and provides a bird's eye view of Port Elizabeth Airport. The coffee lounge will be open to the public to attract both aviation enthusiasts and the curious. The aircraft used at Aptrac for training are all Pipers. Students start off in the two-seater Piper Tomahawk for Primary Flight Training needed for acquiring a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL). Students who continue to obtain a Commercial Licence will use the ever-popular four seater Piper Cherokee for the navigational phase of training. Between 50 and 150 hours of training is needed during this phase. From here the pilot has a choice between continuing their training in the single prop Piper Arrow or the twin engine Piper Commanche. It will take students up to five weeks to obtain a PPL and between 12 to14 months to qualify for a commercial licence. A South African pilot's licence obtained from Aptrac through the Civil Aviation Authority complies with the standards and requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). This means that a pilot who trained at Aptrac would be able to fly anywhere in Africa and in the United Kingdom. Although additional exams would have to be written to fly in Europe, training in Southern Africa is a very attractive option for aspirant pilots from Europe because of the massive expense of training in Europe and the bad weather conditions there. According to Aptrac director Keith Paterson one of the reasons why training to be a pilot in South Africa carries prestige and international recognition, is the strong aviation history in this country. "We have an aviation history with a strong military backing. This ensured a strong backbone to training pilots. These days our regulations are user friendly and easy to police. We also have a strong national carrier that is respected internationally," says Paterson.