EPST
The EPST Airline Jet Foundation Course (AJFC) for Non EPST students
This AJFC course is the EPST "Bridge Course" which is proving so successful for our students. The AJFC course has now been adjusted to meet current airline demands and the preparation required to be able to complete a Jet Type Rating with good results. EPST students who have completed this course have all successfully completed their Type Rating and are now flying with a European Airline.
AJFC course objectives:

The objective of the Airline Jet Foundation Course (AJFC) is to prepare low hour commercial pilot licence holders, who have not flown jet aircraft, for their initial airline type conversion course. Upon completion of the AJFC they will have achieved success in the following areas:
  • Standard airline induction covering all aspects of basic route operation.
  • Airline commercial requirements and customer awareness.
  • Flying a typical modern jet airliner throughout the normal flight envelope during line operations in controlled airspace to instrument rating renewal standard.
  • Dealing competently with non-normal and emergency situations including asymmetric flight.
  • General competence in both pilot flying (PF) and pilot not flying (PNF) roles.
  • General competence and familiarity with jet airline operations and procedures, cockpit management and typical airline documentation.
  • Ability to complete any jet Type Rating with good results.
  • and much much more !!!
The course can be made available to:
  • JAA (IR/ME/ATPL) licence holders.
  • Those who pass a pre-grading test for the course.
Candidates for the AJFC course are required to pass a pre-grading test in order to assess whether or not this course would be a good investment and whether or not the candidate has a reasonable chance to obtain the AJFC certificate at the end of the course. The pre-grading fee is € 250, which will be deducted from the AJFC course price. Included in this grading is our Advanced-COMPASS test.

Brief summary of the AJFC course:

The course consists of six groundschool days and 15 sessions (49 hours) on our own B737-800 Full vision FBS Flight Simulator. An MCC course is included.
Following the groundschool there will be an exam and a flight test will be conducted at the end of the simulator flying sessions. In addition, there is an “intermediate progress check” after session six. At that time the student will receive information about his/her progress (in addition to a detailed de-briefing after each flying session). Although we do not expect problems at this time, if progress is less than expected, the candidate will be invited to withdraw from the course and will be refunded the remainder of the course fees.

Cost of the AJFC course:

The complete AJFC course fee is € 6,900. VAT is not applicable and initial pre-grading has already been deducted from this amount. EPST has its own accommodation (single room, no meals) is available locally for about € 175 per week. Transport to and from the airport will be organized by EPST.
Upon successful completion of the course, candidates will have access to the simulator in order to keep skills up-to-date. The cost of the simulator (i.e. per crew) is  € 150 per hour (VAT is not applicable). Briefing and de-briefing time and the room are provided free of charge. One of our trainers will be available regularly for part of these sessions in order to check standards. There will be no extra charge for this. Use of the interactive FMC trainer is also included in the fees.

Candidates who successfully complete the AJFC course will receive an EPST AJFC certificate. EPST will positively support certificate holders in their efforts to secure an airline interview and a flying job. EPST will (following a standard EPST pilot selection process, which is free of charge for AJFC certificate holders) make available the selection and training dossier with positive recommendations to airlines. Although airlines are aware of EPST’s high standards, and encourage EPST candidates to apply to them, EPST cannot offer any guarantee that the candidate will indeed be hired by the airline. It will be obvious that candidates with an  AJFC certificate, and as such a detailed preparation for Type Rating, are highly attractive to an airline as they considerably reduce the risk of additional Type Rating sessions and possibly Type Rating failure. As such, these candidates represent a reduction in risk and cost for airlines.

If a Pilot, who has successfully passed the grading, is not able to obtain the required quality standard by the end of the AJFC course as laid down by EPST, then the pilot may apply to the unique EPST contingency fund to reclaim 50% (fifty percent) of the course fee. This is laid down in the Training Agreement for AJFC.
This course is a must for those candidates who are expected to pay their own Type Rating. AJFC will ensure that you do not waste your money either by failing the Type Rating or by an excessive number of additional sessions (and therefore cost) in order to successfully complete the Type Rating.

Airbus A320 introduction:

As soon as the A320 FBS is available all AJFC candidates who have completed their AJFC training successfuly will receive introduction sessions on the A320 as standard part of our course. Those candidates who completed their AJFC course earlier and are possibly not placed with an airline yet, will also receive this introduction. The A320 introduction is a free addition to our course in order to prepare the EPST candidates for a possible grading on such aircraft.
EPST Basic Management Program:

The Basic Management Program, exclusively created for EPST by Nyenrode Business University, will also be available for AJFC students who successfuly completed their training. For more information on this program, please discuss the options during your AJFC selection with EPST.

How to apply?

To apply for the AJFC course (and initial grading) please contact EPST (info@epst.com). Please submit your CV prior to the actual grading. Detailed information on the AJFC course is available here.