Spectacular air show in Vrsac marks 100th anniversary of Aviation Academy – Agreement on launching cadet program for pilots signed with Air Serbia (PHOTO)

The spectacular civil and military air show that was attended by around 15,000 people on Sunday marked a century of the existence of the Aviation Academy. Over 50 aircraft of the Serbian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Interior, the national airline company Air Serbia, the Aviation Academy, as well as private airline companies and sports aviation, took part in the great spectacle in the sky.

At the opening of the air show, the signing of the agreement between Air Serbia and the Aviation Academy on the education of 10 pilots for the needs of the Serbian national airline company was announced. It is a pilot cadet program that envisages the education of 10 candidates during the school year 2024/25 for the needs of Air Serbia. This cooperation between the Aviation Academy and the national airline company will provide not just the most modern aviation training, but also the potential hiring of the best young student-pilots in Air Serbia immediately after the education is completed.

– Air Serbia, as the national airline company of the Republic of Serbia, is extremely satisfied with the agreement that was signed with the Aviation Academy, one of the most important education institutions in the field of aviation in Serbia. That agreement, which envisages the education of 10 candidates during the school year 2024/25 at the Aviation Academy for the needs of Air Serbia, gives us the opportunity to launch a new cadet program of our company and thereby potentially hire promising young female and male pilots immediately after the education is completed. We believe that it is the best approach possible so that our company would continue strengthening its capacities and ensuring quality and highly qualified staff for the future on healthy foundations – said the CEO of Air Serbia, Jiri Marek.

On the other hand, as he said, it will also be a unique opportunity for young pilots to get employed at the national airline company of their country immediately after graduating from the Academy.

– In a company which secures the best possible extension of the basic pilot education – through top-quality training on state-of-the-art simulators and with continuous support from older and more experienced colleagues. We strive, together with the Aviation Academy, to create better conditions for young professionals and contribute to the development of Serbian aviation. We are convinced that our cooperation will be very successful – added Marek.

According to the director of the Aviation Academy, Goran Cvijovic, on September 22, 1924, in a building in the Dorcol neighborhood in Belgrade, Serbian education, industry and aviation history was made.

– Today, precisely one century later, our school is the biggest European potential for the training of airplane and helicopter pilots, aviation engineers, air traffic controllers, air mechanics and other aviation specialists. Thanks to investments of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, soon, we will train our student-pilots on the technologically most modern flight simulator for the training of pilots for passenger aircraft of the Airbus A320 type, so today’s opening of the cadet program, which enables the provision of stipends to ten of our students, is a logical step in the continuation of the cooperation of the two most significant institutions in the Serbian civil aviation – said Cvijovic.

The flying showcase part of the program was opened by paragliders and parachuters, which was followed by the flights of Dromader aircraft of Privredna avijacija, and then the entire fleet of the Pilot Academy in Vrsac. The attendees were also able to see the ultra-light Sila, as well as the flights of Utva’s aircraft, Sova and Lasta.

A guest from abroad, Melanie Astles, an aerobatics pilot, the first female winner of the Red Bull Air Race, was responsible for a very attractive part of the flight program. She performed an aerobatics routine in her Extra 330 airplane.

The helicopter unit of the Serbian Police Force showcased its Airbus H145M and Ka-32 helicopters in flight, whereas Super Puma was exhibited on the ground. Cesna 525 CJ of the local private charter airline company Prince Aviation then flew over the Vrsac Airport. The main attraction of the flying showcase program followed at the end – the flight of a pair of multipurpose fighter jets MiG-29SM+ of the Serbian Armed Forces and the passenger airplane Airbus A320 of Air Serbia.

The Austrian Diamond showcased its DA50 on the ground. It was parked next to the Serbian Armed Forces’ Mi-17 and Mi-35M. Also parked were numerous other aircraft of the local general aviation, such as gyrocopters, ultra-light planes and other aircraft.

– We are a country which produced airplanes, and not cars, between the two world wars as well. Also, King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic was the first European monarch to fly on a plane. Serbia has a 100-year tradition of training pilots and other aviation staff. It is precisely the aviation school in Belgrade and the aviation center in Vrsac that were known for decades for educating the staff for numerous European and African countries. That shows how important aviation is for Serbia. It is very significant that the Aviation Academy and Air Serbia have signed the agreement on the education of 10 pilots, but also that the school in Dorcol is getting a flight simulator for the training of pilots for Airbus A320. That way, like we used to, we will start educating the pilots that not just our national airline company needs, but that are also needed abroad – the minister of construction, transport and infrastructure of Serbia, Goran Vesic, said at the opening.

Air Serbia ad Beograd

Vazduhoplovna akademija Beograd

Vazduhoplovna akademija Vršac

Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova Republike Srbije

Vojska Srbije

Ministarstvo građevinarstva, saobraćaja i infrastrukture Republike Srbije

Utva - avio industrija d.o.o. Pančevo

Prince aviation Beograd

JAT-Privredna avijacija doo Beograd

Air Serbia

Aviation Academy

Serbian Armed Forces

Ministry of Interior

Pilot Academy Vršac

Privredna avijacija

Utva

Prince Aviation

Diamond Austria

Ministry of Construction Transport and Infrastructure

Jiri Marek

Goran Cvijović

Melanie Astles

Goran Vesić

Dromader

Sova

Lasta

Red Bull Air Race

Airbus H145M

Ka 32

Super Puma

Cesna 525 CJ

MiG 29SM plus

Airbus A320

DA50

Mi 17

Mi 35M

air show Vršac

100th anniversary of Aviation Academy

one century of Aviation Academy