Emiratis take wing and soar to greater heights

Dubai: As a young boy some 40 years ago, Yousuf Abdullah rode his bicycle all the way from the Sabkha area in Deira to the airport to watch the planes.

"I was mesmerised by the airplanes and would look up at the sky and tell myself that I want a job flying," he recalls. Years later, Captain Yousuf became the first Emirati commercial pilot working with Dubai's first airline.

From his beginnings as a child with a lofty dream, through to qualifying in his chosen profession, Captain Yousuf says he never really considered that he was forging a path.

However, today there are 104 UAE national pilots in Emirates and another 111 enrolled in the airline's National Cadet Pilot Programme.

Shocked

"When I first started flying, my parents were against the idea. Even when I qualified, my friends were so shocked that I could actually fly a plane, they could hardly believe it. They were so used to seeing European and American pilots - not Emiratis," Captain Yousuf told Gulf News.

The Emirates National Cadet Pilot Programme began in 1993 and since that time has seen a six-fold increase in the annual intake of Emirati cadets. According to the airline, a 20 per cent growth rate has been forecast for the next two years and the programme is currently training its 23rd batch of aspiring Emirati pilots.

According to Captain Badr Al Marzouqi, the head of the programme, the recruitment process does not differentiate between the sexes of applicants, with both males and females judged on the same set of criteria. So far the number of male applicants outnumbers females, and there is currently just one female cadet pilot enrolled.

After cadets complete the rigorous training programme, reaching the position of First Officer, it then takes another 6,000 flying hours - the equivalent of eight or nine years - to reach the rank of Captain. Pilots are then obliged to renew his or her licence every six months.

Cadet pilots, say Captain Yousuf and Captain Badr, can look forward to a challenging and rewarding career of continuous learning.

Cadet Pilot

After completing a degree in IT from the Higher College of Technology, Jasem Al Beloushi, 25, started out working in his field for the government. However, he later decided to make an ambitious change in career, opting to try out to become a pilot for Emirates.

"I didn't tell anyone what I was doing until I was accepted, and when I told my father he was a little worried about my choice. It's not very traditional to want to become a pilot," he said.

Al Beloushi is now a cadet pilot hoping to become a first officer by the end of the year. He is described by officials at the college as "one of the brightest". Although passing the selection process is itself an achievement, he admits that getting through the demanding programme requirements can be a challenge. Despite this, Al Beloushi says he is determined to fly for Emirates. "I can't imagine going back. Everyone wants to be a part of such a huge success." Emirates, he says, is particularly attractive for Emiratis because it is a source of national pride. The enthusiasm that other cadets feel is very encouraging, he says. "In fact, we have one cadet who even received his pilot's licence before his driver's licence."

Since becoming a cadet pilot, Al Beloushi has encouraged others to join, including his brother. "I'm trying to prepare him to get through the process. It can be tough if you're not used to working under pressure, but it's worth it."

Emirates Captain and National Cadet Pilot Programme Manager

Captain Badr Al Marzouqi joined the aviation industry in 1993, when he started working with the Bahrain-based Gulf Air. Today he works as a pilot and also heads up the Emirates National Cadet Pilot Programme, overseeing the new generation of pilots, which he describes as very rewarding.

"Lots of Emirati pilots started with Gulf Air, since back then that was our national airline," he said, adding that like him, many have since moved to UAE-based airlines. When he made his decision to return to the UAE, Captain Badr says an added advantage was being based at home, working with fellow Emiratis.

An engineering graduate who planned to pursue a career in that field, Captain Badr says he became a pilot because he was a "job seeker" and initially did not have much interest in flying.

However, he "fell in love with the job" after completing his cadet pilot programme. "When I started my training I quickly fell in love with flying and thanks to God, I got through the selection and started with Gulf Air. It wasn't really my life-long dream to be a pilot ... This was Plan B." Now, as head of the National Cadet Training Programme, Captain Badr is grooming the new generation of pilots.

The first Emirati pilot to work for Dubai's first airline, Captain Yousuf Abdullah is seen as a pioneer in his field. Originally from Sabkha area in Deira, the veteran pilot retired last year, after a long career that he says happened almost by accident.

Although he was fascinated by flying from a young age, Captain Yousuf initially moved to the US to pursue other studies, when he was joined by a friend who was attending flight school.

"Around 1980-81, I was studying in the US and a friend from the UAE came to do flight training and I decided to join," recalled Captain Yousuf. "I started to train and soon realised that I had found what I wanted to do."

Although initially he met with some opposition from his family, Yousuf pursued his dream of becoming a commercial pilot and was granted a scholarship to continue his training in the US by the late Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. After completing his training, Captain Yousuf returned to Dubai in 1986 and recalls personally entreating Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, to allow him to join the fledgling airline.

With many good memories of his time as a pilot, Captain Yousuf admits that he also encountered challenges. "Initially they had no idea what to do with me as there was no history of Emiratis in the field ... It was sometimes difficult to see a young UAE national come up in an industry filled with experienced expatriates. I found that I had to do double the amount of work to try to prove myself."

With a career spanning three decades with Emirates, Captain Yousuf says in the early years that he could never have imagined that one day there would be a full-fledged training programme for the future generation of Emirati pilots in Dubai.

"In the future I would like to see more Emirati trainee pilots coming through the ranks. They are more than capable of doing so and I am so proud to see how things have developed ... I will always remember the people who took a chance on me."

Emirates Aviation College for Aerospace and Academic Studies

- Known as the 'academic wing' of the Emirates Group, Emirates Aviation College for Aerospace and Academic Studies attracts trainee aviation industry employees from around the world.

- Established in 1991 by the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, the college was taken over by the Emirates Group to complement its airline by training air industry professionals including pilots and air crew.

Selection and programme requirements:

- According to Emirates officials, recruitment for the National Cadet Pilot Programme is carried out through various ways including visits to both boys and girls schools by training officers. The selection process includes tests to determine academic ability, particularly in mathematics, physics and English, as well as specific psychometric testing. Checkups are also carried out to determine whether the applicant meets various requirements including optimal weight and height, hand-eye coordination, motor skills and communication skills. Medical testing is also carried out and high blood pressure and poor eyesight can be a problem. According to Emirates, the optimal height range is 157cm to 196cm and the age range is between 17 and 30 years.

Emirates Airline National Cadet Pilot Programme

Taking an average of 3-3.5 years, the programme has three phases:

1. Foundation phase, including courses in English language and aviation science. Held in Dubai over 12 months.

2. Cadets attend flight training college in Adelaide, Australia where they get their Commercial Pilot's Licence.

3. The final phase of the programme includes training for around six months on flight simulators.

Some statistics

1,708
Total number of Emirates pilots as of May 2007

215
Total number of UAE national pilots (qualified and cadets) in Emirates

111
Number of UAE national pilots under training

104
Number of qualified UAE national pilots in Emirates - 20 Captains and 84 First Officers

6
Number of Emirati training pilots, who are trainers as well as full-time pilots

103
Number of aircraft in Emirates

100+
Number of nationalities among Emirates cabin crew

75
Number of nationalities among Emirates pilots

Dh1.1 million
Cost of training programme per cadet, including salary. 100% is funded by Emirates airline

550
Number of applicants for the National Cadet Pilot Programme in 2006

46
Number of recruits chosen in 2006