AviNation Magazine January 2019

REACH FOR THE EXPLORE YOUR POSSIBILITIES—AND THE WORLD— WITH THE COOLEST CAREER ON THE PLANET. Have you always dreamed of being a pilot? Maybe you’ve already started down that path, taken some flying lessons, hung out around pilots and peppered them with all kinds of questions, dreaming of the day you put on the headset and fly solo.

Today, achieving that dream is more possible than ever. There’s a major shortage of pilots around the globe; in fact, it’s projected that by the year 2036, around 637,000 pilots will be needed worldwide. A significant shortage like that means the demand for commercial airline pilots is sky high.

That’s just one reason why Republic Airways, one of the nation’s largest regional airlines, created the Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy. The first U.S. regional carrier to create its own flight training school with a direct pathway to a job, Republic designed LIFT to make pursuing a career in aviation more affordable and attainable than previously believed possible. Addressing the growing pilot shortage (due in part to an aging Baby Boomer pilot population that is beginning to retire in vast numbers), Republic has subsidized the cost of training and offers a guaranteed job as a Republic First Officer to graduates of the program in hopes of attracting a more diverse group of aspiring pilots to enter the field.

Some examples of how LIFT does things differently: Affordable tuition. Tuition at LIFT is $65,000, which is less than other aviation schools. LIFT offers loan assistance and, as soon as a student becomes a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI, which takes about a year), they are paid to instruct other LIFT students. This allows them to earn income while finishing their required flight hours.

Advanced training technology. LIFT involves a combo of in-classroom, online and in-air instruction. Our students train on state-of-the-art flight simulators that look and feel like a real cockpit, and they fly in brand new Diamond Aircraft DA40NG and DA42VI single- and twin-engine planes. LIFT students are up in the air in those planes as soon as possible, too—usually within the first week or two after starting class. Weather permitting, they fly about three days a week.

Impressive partners. In addition to Republic’s codeshare partners—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines—LIFT is proud to partner with other well-known and respected companies. Its fleet of 50 aircraft and three simulators are delivered straight from the manufacturer, Diamond Aircraft. Bose is the exclusive provider of LIFT headsets, outfitting every LIFT student with a state-of-the-art Bose A20 Aviation Headset. Each training aircraft is equipped with a revolutionary Garmin G1000 all-glass avionics suite that makes flight information easier to scan and process, putting a wealth of flight-critical data at the pilot’s fingertips. Students also learn from a curriculum created

by Jeppesen, which has been providing the aviation industry with navigational information for 80 years. Owned by Boeing, Jeppesen’s trusted aviation solutions are known around the world.

Faster career path. While the time it takes to complete flight ratings and build flight hours varies depending on how much time a student can devote to their training, it’s faster than most people think. At LIFT, becoming a CFI takes about a year, then completing those 1500 hours can take another 18-24 months, which means that graduates can generally count on becoming a Republic First Officer in approximately three years. That’s less time than it takes to earn a four-year degree, while having a guaranteed job waiting as well.