"We're proud that our TBM 850 has been selected by NCAT to train future airline pilots." stated Nicolas Chabbert, DAHER-SOCATA's Senior Vice-President, Airplane Division. "It's interesting to note that NCAT's conclusion about the value of our very fast turboprop aircraft family for advanced pilot ratings was the same that we reached 18 years ago when conducting experimental courses with the French Civil Aviation College."

Current airline industry trends are putting the emphasis on high-speed aircraft experience as a pre-requisite to airline type-rating courses - which makes it difficult for many young pilots who have graduated from ab-initio courses. One solution is a special training course using high-performance aircraft such as the TBM 850. The DAHER-SOCATA aircraft combines the typical performance of a jet - a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS, a ceiling of 31,000 ft., and the possibility of high speed descents and approaches - with the economic direct operating costs of a turboprop engine.

"Changes in global aviation training required a repositioning of our college to meet the demands of the 21st century," said Captain Adebayo Araba, Rector Chief Executive of NCAT. "New equipment such as the IBM 850 will enable us to raise the level of our training to the highest international standards, which is a key to our overall strategy."

NCAT is the leading aviation training institution in western Africa. It was established as a joint program between the Federal Government of Nigeria, the United Nations Development Program, and the International Civil Aviation Organization. The college's first graduating class in 1968 was composed of 22 students. Today, it graduates an average of 160 students per year in the following fields: air traffic and communication services, aeronautical telecommunications, aircraft maintenance engineering, cabin crew and pilot training, as well as aviation management for the civil aviation industry.