Charleston Regional Accelerated Flight Training and Simulation, also known as CRAFT Flight Training and Simulation, has received its provisional Part 141 training approval from the FAA, becoming only the second school in South Carolina, and the only school in Charleston and the Lowcountry region approved by the FAA to offer Part 141 courses for flight training.

“We are proud, delighted and thrilled to earn our provisional Part 141 status,” says Amanda Aldea, co-owner of CRAFT Flight School. Aldea runs the school along with her husband, Jay Aldea and their partner Barry Emerson. She continues: “Organising and leading our flight school through the FAA accreditation process has been a substantial and serious undertaking. But it's a goal we've been working toward ever since we bought CRAFT in 2019. It feels really good. Now that we can offer both Part 141 and Part 61 training, it means we can offer more flexibility to our students. We can cater to both career-minded pilots who are training or retraining on new equipment and the weekend hobbyist who is looking to challenge themselves.”

The new FAA Part 141 designation was a necessary step for the school to offer South Carolina's first college aeronautics programme through Charleston Southern University (CSU). CSU will begin to offer the Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics (Professional Pilot) programme in the autumn of 2021. Students enrolled in the new programme next autumn will be able to choose between three main tracks: commercial, military or missionary aviation.

“There has always been a strong relationship between South Carolina's economy and the aviation sector. I'm for any initiative that helps the community learn about and enjoy aviation. What CRAFT is doing will help promote aviation as a viable career path, especially with younger people. This is really key to meeting the need for pilots in the industry,” comments Terry Connorton, president of the South Carolina Aviation Association (SCAA).

As passenger flight demand rebounds from COVID-19, the aviation industry is still hungry for qualified pilots. While the pandemic alleviated the pilot shortage almost overnight in 2020, a recent study by the global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman predicts the pilot shortage will return by 2022. The study estimates there will be a nearly 60,000 pilot shortfall. The root cause of the pilot shortage varies by region, the study concluded. “In the US, it's an ageing workforce facing mandatory retirement, fewer pilots exiting the military and barriers to entry, including the cost of training,” the report notes.

Part 141 schools are specifically approved by the FAA to teach certain courses in a structured and organised way. The purpose of Part 141 is to ensure the highest level of student training possible. These courses may be taught on a rigid schedule and at a faster pace, allowing students to complete the full programme in as little as 12 months with reduced minimum hours required.