ARCHIVED - Local airstrip becomes training ground for airline pilots of the future

Commercial airline pilot training starts at Alhama de Murcia facility becomes fair weather base

Leading Edge Aviation (LEAL), a British based pilot training school, have announced that they have chosen the Region of Murcia for their fair-weather base training campus.

Once a subject of curiosity, a giant suspended iron model of a paper aeroplane was a common sight and landmark for drivers travelling the RM-2 motorway. This huge model was erected to adorn the gatehouse to a development called “Campo del Vuelo Alhama de Murcia”, which at one time was planned to include a housing development that would boast its own airport.

Although the housing development plans have not progressed, the airstrip facilities are now to be put to good use by LEAL as their new Southern European Campus after agreements were made with the Murcia regional government.

The Alhama de Murcia facility will become the fair weather base and after students have completed Ground School at the Oxford (UK) Campus they will move to Alhama, where the 300+ days of sunshine provide more opportunity for progression in their foundation flying. Using LEAL’s fleet of Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft with on-site engineering service, this phase culminates with the Commercial Pilot License (CPL) skills test.

After completing the fair weather phase students then return to the Oxford campus at which they will experience the more challenging UK flying conditions and undertake further training in the areas required to attain the qualifications to prepare them for their future airline careers.

While at the Murcia training campus LEAL has arranged accommodation for the students at the nearby Condado de Alhama Resort. Currently there are around 30 students in residence and this figure is expected to rise to over 100 to take advantage of the year round training opportunities.

Past Leading Edge Aviation graduate students have gone on to work for airlines such as British Airways, Air Tanker, EasyJet and Wizz Air.

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