Cadet pilot Jason Koor's flying ambitions may have been put on hold for the next few years due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the 26-year-old is using this downtime to inspire the next generation of aviators.
Mr Koor, along with two friends, incorporated aviation enrichment company Aircademy last month. It hopes to help youth who are keen in the aviation industry to learn more, through courses that will teach them about planes and aviation-related work, like ground handling. Industry players such as pilots will be invited to share their experiences with participants.
The co-founders hope to be able to stretch the $30,000 they put in to get the business off the ground, as they have managed to get discounts on costs such as rent. They will run a trial programme next month - during the school holidays - to test their curriculum and study the feasibility and viability of the business, said Mr Koor, who graduated from the National University of Singapore last year with a double degree in civil engineering and management.
The trio hope to help nurture an interest in aviation through means which they feel were not as accessible to youth when they themselves were younger.
Mr Koor, whose now-suspended pilot training with a local airline was due to be completed next year, said Aircademy hopes to establish a knowledge ecosystem through the quality of its syllabus and word of mouth. Providing access to aviation knowledge and information is their top priority, he added.
"I want to work with philanthropists and get kids who are from the lower-income group to join the classes - so long as they have the passion and aptitude - so that they can get a head start as well," he said. "People tend to think enrichment courses in Singapore are only for those who can really afford it, but we want to create the opportunity for accessibility,"
The start-up's objectives are education first and business second, said Mr Koor, as the co-founders' focus is on contributing to an industry they are passionate about.
"I've decided that if I want to invest my time in this industry as a career, I might as well make the most of these two, three years...and develop myself in this industry."
