Alpha Flying, Inc. adheres to pilot screening and training standards that are among the most stringent in the industry. Our pilot training program instills a comprehensive and intimate knowledge of aircraft systems and management, instrument flight rules, instrument approach procedures and profiles, and mastery of the aircraft's controls in all types of weather.

Our FAA-approved training program is a combination of courses developed by our in-house training department and programs at SimCom in Orlando, FL, and Survival Systems, Inc., in Groton, CT. Our training program has been further enhanced to meet the requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91 subpart K, and in many cases we have surpassed the standards of the regulations.

Here are some highlights of our pilot screening and training programs:

• Initial Second-in-Command (SIC) Ground School – This comprehensive 5-day ground school covers the following topics: aircraft systems, avionics, FAA rules and regulations, flight planning, weather and winter operations, company general operating procedures, aircraft performance, safety and cockpit resource management.

• Initial SIC Flight Training – Prospective pilots also must go through flight training. This includes training in a flight training device and in the aircraft with one of our instructors. A flight test, or check-ride, must be passed successfully before a SIC is released to line flying.

• Upgrade Training – Every pilot is hired as an SIC with the expectation that, after some experience in the aircraft, they will all become a Captain, or a Pilot-in-Command (PIC). An internal Captain’s Review Board selects prospective PICs who then begin training in the left seat to prepare them for responsibilities of being a PIC.

• Initial PIC Training – After upgrade training, pilots attend courses at SimCom that combines ground and simulator training. Upon returning home, an in-house check-ride is completed before the pilot is released as a line PIC.

• Annual and Six Month Checkrides – Every pilot is required to do two proficiency checks each year. These checkrides are a comprehensive test of normal IFR and VFR maneuvers and emergency procedures.

• Annual Recurrent Ground School – Every pilot is required to attend an annual recurrent ground school. This is a two-day course that covers many of the topics from initial ground school but in a slightly more advanced form.

• Initial and Annual Recurrent Emergency Training – Our emergency training is taught by a company with a long history of training military and corporate pilots. Their initial two-day General Emergency Duties course includes training in emergency water landings, basic first aid and CPR, fire and smoke control procedures, and high altitude operations and cabin decompression.

• Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) Training – All pilots are RVSM certified by a course that was developed by our in-house training department, and are recertified annually.