October 15, 2023
by Jon Lorence Panelo
Adventure Flight Education and Sports (AFES) was established as the leading flying school in Asia by employing highly experienced flight instructors and maintenance personnel and acquiring highly reliable trainer aircraft. AFES is the sister company of AISAT Davao, wherein its main hangar is in Cebu, while its satellite hangar is in Davao. As stated on the AFES website, Cebu is an ideal training ground for pilots as it is the regional center of the Central Visayas. Cebu serves as a take-off point to nearby airports, such as Tagbilaran, Ormoc, and Dumaguete. Pilot training in Cebu makes full use of the air traffic control, instrument landing aids, and night flying facilities hosted at the Mactan Cebu International Airport, which is the second largest airport in the Philippines. Davao is the third largest city in the Philippines after Cebu, offering a gateway to the surrounding provinces. Indeed, one would discover the Philippines through AFES.
AFES Cebu and Davao offer the following pilot training courses: private pilot license, commercial pilot license, and instrument rating. Meanwhile, only AFES Cebu offers flight instructor training. Regarding its fleet, AFES currently has eight aircraft consisting of Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, and Cessna 172s – CD 135 (Turbo Diesel). AFES is the only flight school in the Philippines with Cessna-172s equipped with Continental diesel engines, making flying safer. Also, the AFES maintenance team ensures the crew’s safety on each flight. At the same time, its talented instructors are passionate about teaching, ensuring that every student is guided and supervised from the ground until they take flight. AFES provides the right balance of challenge and guidance to equip one for a rewarding aviation career.
Despite all the challenges that AFES has encountered, from the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 to Typhoon Odette in December 2021, AFES was able to take flight once again in February 2022. As highlighted by AFES CEO Ma’am Tita R. Cerna, AFES was able to rise from zero until its current schedule of training flights from sunrise to sunset on every clear sunny day. Ma’am Tita emphasized that AFES continues to be successful, all thanks to the team and the continuous management support of the board of directors. As a leader, Ma’am Tita shared her insights on leading AFES toward success. She mentioned that a good leader and its people are the most crucial aspects of success. As a CEO, starting from zero requires one to be honest, learn from one’s mistakes, assess the situation, come up with a solution, come up with a target, and have the urge to do it right. She also said to take everything as a challenge as if it is your passion, and you would love and enjoy your job and not feel tired.
Recently, AFES conducted a successful pilot career talk for young aspiring pilots at AISAT Davao last September 9, 2023. The guest speakers, student pilots from AFES themselves, stated that the AISAT students were attentive, invested, and engaged throughout the talk. Many AISAT students were interested in flying AFES, and prizes were given away towards the end of the talk. As per Capt. Kyle Gregory C. Devaras, AFES Marketing In-Charge, the talk focused on career guidance and not on selling AFES to the participants. AISAT and AFES consistently pave the way for aspiring pilots to reach for the skies. AFES Cebu, situated at Hangar (Lot) 6, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, General Aviation Road, Lapu-Lapu City, can be contacted at (032) 268 9829 and adventureflightcebu@gmail.com. At the same time, AFES Davao, located at Adventure Flight Education and Sports Hangar, Km. 9 Old Airport Road, Buhangin, Davao City, can be reached at (082) 297 3255 and flight@aisat.edu.ph.
Fellow AISAT students, fly AFES and let your dreams take flight!