Dundee’s high fliers turned out to see the launch of a new degree for pilots.
The BSc (Hons) Professional Aviation Pilot Practice programme is the first of its kind in the UK and is launched in conjunction with Middlesex University and the Aviation Skills Partnership.
Also unveiled was a brand new plane for the school, a twin-engined Tecnam P206, which will help the trainee pilots understand more advanced aviation.
Fuel tanks on the plane can be loaded with unleaded, the same as car fuel which will save on costs.
The plane also has a ‘glass cockpit’; traditional instruments are replaced with screens on which many different pieces of information can be shown.
Learning to fly glass cockpit aircraft is vital to young pilots looking to pursue international flight or military careers.
Jim Watt, managing director of Tayside Aviation, said: “The two advantages of this are that people can earn a degree while learning to fly, which is handy as it looks like soon all pilots will need to be degree qualified.
“It also allows our students to access student finance, and student accommodation finance which can help with financing learning to fly because until now it has been entirely self-funded.”
The cost of learning to fly could be reduced by as much as one third by the degree.
Mr Watt said: “Effectively this flight school becomes an annexe of Middlesex University.
“It is because our programme has been recognised and that’s a huge compliment to Tayside Aviation.”