The third group of international students from Kazakhstan boarded their flight back to their Riga Aeronautical Institute in Latvia last week after successfully completing their program at Pelican. Each individual obtained 50 dual flight hours, including both fixed wing and helicopter. The two month programs based in Florida at Pelican are designed to educate these young ATC students into gaining a perspective into what it is like to be in the pilot’s seat. It gives them the opportunity to go abroad for two months out of their 14 months of training in Riga, Latvia and experience new cultures, environments, people and climates. Our group number 4 have already arrived and getting stuck into their training already.

On August 17, 2015, Ambassador of Latvia to the United States Andris Razans visited Riga Aeronautical Institute facilities in Riga, Latvia (European Union).
Riga Aeronautical Institute (RAI) is an institution of higher education affiliated to our school, Pelican Flight Training. It is located in Riga, the capital city of the Republic of Latvia, European Union member state. Pelican Flight Training was represented by school’s Managing Member and RAI President Mr. Ivans Kuznecovs, Chief Operating Officer Mrs. Anna Stepanova and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Vladimirs Karols.
RAI is a European Union accredited institution of higher education, providing academic education up to Master’s degree in the fields of aviation, mechanics and electronics (including Air Traffic Control, Air Transport Systems Management, Aircraft Maintenance, Operation and Maintenance of Airport Ground Electronic Equipment, etc.).
Mr. Andris Razans holds the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America since July 2012. Prior to that, he served as Ambassador of Latvia to several other states, and held the post of Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia.

Time is flying by at Pelican with our second group of ATC students from Riga Aeronautical University completing their training here in America and heading back to Riga to finish off their Air Traffic Control course. Having spent two months in the states, they have been enlightened on what it is like to be on the other side of the radio call, actually in the aircraft, not just up in the control towers and this has provided them with an insight that will be extremely useful in their future careers as controllers. We wish them well and safe travels and again excitedly await the next group arriving shortly.

This past Friday 17th and Saturday 18th April, Pelican attended the SAFEE AIR EXPO in Opa Locka Airport, Florida which was a FREE STEM field trip for Miami and Broward Schools and community, aimed to empower youth to seek out careers in the exciting field of aviation. It was a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) event. Pelican was proud to be among one of the many Flight schools present, alongside Universities and aviation businesses from South florida who were all there to engage and educate students.

After successfully completing their training, we waved goodbye to our first group of five ATC Flight Indoctrination Course students from Kazakhstan yesterday. Their time in Florida has been part of an ab initio ATC training course provided by Riga Aeronautical Institute. It has been a very good two month trip for them, with each student gaining 50 hours flight training in different aircraft ranging from the Cessna 152, Cessna 172, the Piper Seminole (multi engine) and the Helicopter Schweizer 300C. It was sad to see them go, but now we eagerly await the new group of students arriving this Saturday, March 21^st.