Eighteen Colombian cadets and one from the Guatemalan Air Force received the traditional flying scarf, due to successfully completing the Ground Course on the Cessna-172 Skyhawk aircraft, imparted by the International Fixed Wing School, ESIAF, of the Colombian Aerospace Force; this symbolic act marks the overcoming of the first stage on the demanding path to become military pilots.
During the ground phase, the students were intensively prepared in maneuvers, procedures, emergencies, communications and operation of the aircraft system, a crucial stage to obtain resources and works to increase safety, before starting flight training, a process that in the same way requires rigorous physical, mental and academic tests, in which each student must demonstrate the necessary adaptability to operate in real conditions, protect the airspace and assume strategic responsibilities within the Institution.
In an interview, Cadet Fernando Cruz, from Guatemala, expressed his firm conviction to train under the demanding standards of Colombian military aviation, highlighting that this experience strengthens regional cooperation. Together with him, the Cadets Mendoza, a native of San Pelayo, Córdoba, and García, from Valdivia, Antioquia, remote municipalities of the country, demonstrated that there are no geographical barriers to achieving dreams.
At the Air Combat Command No. 1, in Puerto Salgar, Cundinamarca, where Colombian and foreign fixed-wing military aviators trained every day, the Colombian Air Force will continue training pilots capable of facing the challenges of the military operation, carrying in each flight the honor and responsibility of serving the nation.
Source: Public Communications Office CACOM 1
