Horizons Online Edition

Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 2, 2006 - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will discontinue enrolling new cadets into its Commercial Airline Pilot Training (CAPT) program initiative, effective Feb. 14.

The intense 12-14 month program located at Flagler County Airport in Bunnell, Fla., enrolls students who already have jobs and degrees, but are looking for a career change. While graduates were successfully placed as pilots for regional and cargo carriers, the university decided the program did not fit into its strategic plans for the future.

"CAPT is an exciting approach to pilot training, but we decided to focus our efforts and resources on our flagship pilot training programs at our residential campuses," said John P. Johnson, interim president of Embry-Riddle.

Embry-Riddle educates nearly 2,000 students in its pilot training programs at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz.

Over the next year, the university will complete the training for all cadets currently enrolled. Training will continue at Flagler County Airport during that period. The Bunnell facility is leased from the airport, and a new tenant will be sought.

Of the 57 graduates to date, several are engaged in employer-based training to pilot 747 cargo aircraft, and others are now with regional airlines. Embry-Riddle will explore adopting some of the innovative features of the CAPT system of instruction into the flight programs at the Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., campuses.

The highly selective admissions criteria of the CAPT program, which include a thorough background check and psychological screening prior to enrollment, make CAPT graduates highly desirable to employers.

"We are very proud of the accomplishments of our outstanding cadets and staff," said Martin Schaaf, executive director of CAPT. "We are also pleased that we enjoyed such a strong relationship with several air carriers who worked with us to develop the program."

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs through its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering and meets the needs of students and industry through education, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates more than 32,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through its Extended Campus at more than 130 teaching centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, and worldwide through distance learning.

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