Virgin Atlantic captains turn trailblazers
- By Jack Preston -
- Sep 21, 2012
Virgin Atlantic has revealed the airline is assisting aircraft manufacturer Boeing with the development of a streamlined course for pilots wishing to convert from 747 to 787 flying.
The new course will provide a more efficient training programme, reducing the conversion time from 24 to 16 days. Virgin Atlantic Captains Jim Kloos and Ian Belmore are blazing a trail for the industry, once their trial is complete the course will be available to all European pilots currently flying Boeing 747-400s.
“We were pleased to be able to provide two experienced B747 pilots to Boeing as candidates for this course, which will result in great efficiency savings for airlines across Europe,” explained Virgin Atlantic’s Director of Operations, Safety and Security, Corneel Koster.
“We have a fantastic team of pilots at Virgin Atlantic and these two training captains will be providing invaluable experience and practical advice to Boeing. We are excited about the 787 aircraft joining our fleet and are pleased to be playing such a key part in enabling its smooth roll out across Europe.”
The Virgin airlines have always been keen on pilot progression, with one time Virgin Atlantic pilot Dave Mackay becoming Virgin Galactic’s Chief Pilot. As Richard Branson commented: “Now that’s what I call career progression! Just goes to show that the sky is not the limit.”
If you’d like to book a flight, visit the Virgin Atlantic website.
By Jack Preston. Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
