Category: News

Last week, the Portuguese coastal town of Cascais hosted the European Aviation Training Symposium – EATS for short. Director Eric Duijkers attended the event on behalf of EPST, together with Jack Damen from our partner Compass. In the Estoril Congress Centre, a stone’s throw away from Lisbon, guests from over 50 countries visited the symposium from 5 to 7 November. With more than 1000 guests, EATS is the largest event focusing on the training aspect in aviation. The symposium is intended as a platform to continuously improve the quality of training methods and facilities in aviation. EPST shares this goal, […]

September and October are busy months at EPST: traditionally, many students start their flight training abroad during this period. Curious about how the run-up to this exciting time is experienced through the eyes of a former student? Then listen to the this episode of the podcast ‘Pilotenpraat’, recorded at EPST (available in Dutch only). In recent weeks, we have said goodbye to various groups as they left for Switzerland and Norway. Three students make the journey up north In September, Doede, Tjebbe and Roy made the journey to the picturesque village of Arendal, on the Norwegian coastline. They have now […]

John van Limburg Stirum, our Head of Training, flew his very last scheduled flight for Transavia in August. He will now enjoy his retirement, as of September. It may have been a flight like any other, but from a decorated cockpit John admitted that he had experienced a day with turbulence – in an emotional sense, this time. Once John had put the plane on the ground for the last time, a festive afternoon awaited him. How does John look back on this day? ‘It was a day with a laugh and a tear’, says John. ‘My social media was […]

Last month, we saw another group aspiring pilots embark on the journey of a lifetime. The destination? Aero Locarno! Lourens, Mark, Nausika, Casper, Nander, and Joost have arrived in Switzerland and started their programme. Locarno has a lot in store for them: living in a beautiful area in Switzerland, Italy almost literally around the corner and a full immersion in a new culture, and in Lake Maggiore. But above all: an incredible amount of flying hours, against a backdrop of snow-capped Alpine peaks. We wish these six great students all the best, and a great time! In September, a large […]

What is it like to learn to fly in Greece? Global Aviation in Megara, Greece, is one of our three training locations. EPST graduate Okke Sloots took his first steps as a pilot here, and followed the entire program. He reflects on his time on the Greek coast with great pleasure. Curious about his story? Then read further! Okke’s experience in one word? “Fantastic!” He enthusiastically tells that he undoubtedly had the time of his life in Greece. Besides the fact that there was a lot of studying to be done, there was also plenty of time for relaxation and […]

Pilots have a great responsibility to monitor the safety of their aircraft, their passengers and their own. EPST believes it is vital for pilots to have the right tools for recognizing threats and to adequately respond to them. That is why our pilots recently followed Dyami’s Risk Management, Security and Resilience training. Today’s risks Society is constantly changing and this means that threats in aviation are constantly evolving. The Dyami team incorporates experts with the latest insights, which makes this training incredibly valuable. What are the current threats and what is going on in the world now? These are important […]

From April 29 to May 2, the World Aviation Training Summit will take place in Orlando, Florida. EPST is present as a proud sponsor of this event. What is WATS? The World Aviation Training Summit is the largest trade fair for training institutes and facilities across the entire civil aviation industry. The fair is aimed at all professionals involved in education and training for the aviation sector. This includes training cabin crew, but also training for manufacturers and suppliers, ground staff, and institutions involved in regulation and legislation. The WATS Event, therefore, has a wide range of exhibitors. With more […]

“The first time solo is an experience you will never forget. It is the first and perhaps most valuable milestone in your career as a pilot.” We can’t put it any better than our own pilot in training Douwe Brandt. At EPST, we see the first solo as a moment to cherish. That’s why we are glad to have our pilots in training sharing their stories. This time it was the turn of Nick Wester, Niels Nowee and, as mentioned before, Douwe Brandt. All three fly at Aero Locarno in Switzerland. How did they experience their first solo flight between […]

Anyone who does anything in aviation will have to deal with the EASA. This gigantic organization is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year – a great opportunity to see what this agency is involved in. What does that abbreviation stand for? And what does an Airbus A380 have to do with the EASA? What does the abbreviation EASA stand for? It stands for European Union Aviation Safety Agency. That’s a mouthful, and a very solid question for a pilot pub quiz. But that doesn’t tell you much, so let’s delve into the matter and see which processes in aviation the […]