Foundation to teach piloting abilities to Aboriginal students
FLIGHT CAMPS:Few get the chance to see the types of aviation facilities that the Aboriginal students will experience during two-day camps
More than 400 of Aboriginal students will learn piloting skills at free summer camps held by the Aviation Education Foundation (AEF), the foundation's chairman said yesterday.
Sponsored by the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), the Taipei-based foundation will hold 14 free summer camps in seven counties and cities, said AEF chairman Billy Chang (張國政), former director of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
The two-day camps will give the students the opportunity to learn basic piloting knowledge, instilling them with a better understanding of aviation and the airline industry, Chang said.
"It's not easy for any student to get such a close look at the [aviation] industry, far less Aboriginal students, most of whom come from less-well-off families," he said.
"Hopefully, the event will provide them with a deeper insight into the industry and thus give them more confidence," he said.
Council of Indigenous Peoples Deputy Minister Lin Chiang-I (林江義) expressed gratitude to the foundation for organizing the camps.
"These camps will open up a new field for Aboriginal students, and might even make them reconsider their career plans," Lin said.
The students will have the chance to visit aviation museums, airline companies and various other facilities that are not usually open to the public, including the Air Force Academy, the Aerospace Industrial Development Corp and some military air bases.
In addition to interacting with pilots and ground staff, each student will have the opportunity to fly in a jet simulator at an air base, the organizers said.