Captain A D Manek, pilot instructor, told reporters that the Club -- currently holding a three-day seminar in the city to guide those aspiring to become pilots and air hostesses -- had trained 150 pilot since 1987.

In the last 12 years a five-member team of instructors, including Joy Prakash Chhetry a former Air Force fighter pilot, had groomed and trained pilots and cabin crew members, he said, adding that many of them had been absorbed in airline companies.

Disclosing his future plans, Manek said that he wanted to start a private civil aviation service to cater to the Gujarat sector. Though Surat was the commercial capital of Gujarat, it was not linked by air, he said, adding that they have approached the department of civil aviation for a NOC to realise their aims.

With the aviation sector being privatised under the `Open Sky Policy', civil aviation activity in the country was expanding with a growing number of new airlines, training institutions and aircraft manufactures, which demanded a large number of well-trained personnel like pilots and engineers for its operation, Manek said, adding that responding to this requirement, the SAC had programmed full-time and part-time ground training course for professional pilot and hobby flying licences.