Caribbean Aviation Training Centre wins prestigious Diamond Award
THE Caribbean Aviation Training Centre, which operates out of Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston, on Tuesday trounced 283 Cessna Pilot Centres worldwide to claim the number one spot in the industry, along with the prestigious Diamond Award for exceeding Cessna Aircraft Company operational standards and excellence in flight training for 2006.
The award was presented at a ceremony in San Antonio, Texas.
“It is the first time that a flight school in the Caribbean is winning this award,” explained an elated Captain Errol Stewart, chief executive officer and director of operations at the Caribbean Aviation Training Centre.
The award, he said, is sending a clear message that they are able to excel despite all adversities in general aviation in Jamaica.
“This award proves beyond any reasonable doubt that despite the various crises facing us and the non-recognition of the tremendous contribution made by general aviation, and in particular flight training schools, we continue through hard work and dedication to build the aviation industry within Jamaica and the wider Caribbean,” said Captain Stewart.
This, he added, has been recognised by others like Cessna Aircraft Company which has been in the aviation industry for over 79 years.
Speaking during a break at a pilot centre management seminar in Texas, Captain Stewart told the Observer that the selection process for the 10-year-old award was based on the Cessna Pilot Centre regional manager’s visit to the various flight schools worldwide over the past 12 months.
The assessment was based on how well the Cessna Pilot Centre operational procedures and guidelines were followed; the environment under which the flight schools operate; success rate of students obtaining their private pilot licences; assessment of the flight instructors; development and implementation of new marketing concepts to attract new pilots as well as interviews with student pilots at the flight schools.
All the criteria were set by the Cessna pilot centre management team at Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas.
The Diamond Award is presented to an outstanding flight school that is selected from the nearly 300 Cessna Pilot Centres worldwide.
