Recently, The Asunción Times has been to Chakair, an aviation company based at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque. They are specialised in aviation education, offering courses and teaching to locals and foreigners for the last 13 years.
If you moved to Paraguay and you are dreaming of flying, that is your chance, as Chakair is the best school in the country for this type of education! While they offer complete courses to everyone, if you are unsure, you can try the Pilot for a Day program, which leads you to the sky with the help of an experienced pilot. If you are more interested in the mechanic aspect of aviation, you are also welcome! It is a dynamic and growing sector, and Paraguay recently opened new training center with the help of South Korea. The company is fully registered within the government structure, follows the Dirección Nacional de Aeronautica Civil (DINAC) guidelines, and respects all the rules and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). A former military general has established the school, and they also count on other retired military personnel, such as a colonel.
What Is The Structure Of The Chakair Courses?
The theoretical part has 10 subjects, and the practical part is 40 hours; five hours in the simulator and 35 hours of flights with a Cessna 150, all in that order. The simulator uses the latest technology to help future pilots learn in a more realistic way. For example, you can get adaptive weather while piloting in a realistic area, as it is a faithful representation of the environment. When our team was there, a student was flying over San Bernardino and Lago Ypacaraí. The practical time is spread over two to three months, from 6 PM to 8 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Chakair is providing you with a lot of things to make your learning experience worthwhile, but also, to provide you with an environment to succeed:
- Private Pilot Course Manual
- Cessna 150 Checklist
- Flights Plan
- Flight Computer
- Paraguay Map at 1:1.000.000 Scale
You will also get:
- Chakair Bag
- Chakair Shirt
*It is important to note that if you have done the same kind of courses in your native country, you have to restart all over again. Even if you show your paperwork, you have to restart the full courses to respect the guidelines and regulations of the DINAC.
How Much For Full Courses?
The registration fees are 880K Guaraníes, which is 111 American Dollars, or 103 Euros. The full course cost 44M Guaraníes, which is 5566 American Dollars at the moment of writing, or 5154 Euros. The format of payment lets you pay the theoretical phase by parts, which is four times 1.65M Guaraníes. You can then pay by hours of simulator, which is priced at 165K Guaraníes. After that, you can pay by hours of flights, which is listed at 1.045M Guaraníes. You can also pay in 18 quotas of equal amounts, which can help.
What Are The Requirements?
To be able to take courses at Chakair, you need to have:
- Photocopy of Cédula or Passport (Still Preferably a Paraguayan Cédula)
- Photocopy of University Degree
- 2 Passport Style Pictures
- Filling the Registration Form
- Being Able to Pay for the Courses
Pilot for a Day at Chakair
Like some colleagues and other foreigners experienced, you can be a Pilot for a Day. The cost is 880K Guaraníes, which is around 111 American dollars or 102 Euros. You can get a shortened course in the classroom with a professor, learn basic aeronautic techniques and coding, and then go to the sky! They have experienced pilots to help you and guide you at all times. If you are not 100% comfortable, the pilot will do everything for you, do not worry! If your Spanish is not optimum, you can have both theoretical and practical services in English. Then, at the end of it, you will receive a Pilot Experience certificate. Congratulations!
Want to know more? The Asunción Times sent some of our team to tray it out for ourselves… read about our first-hand experience of Pilot For A Day here!
Want To Be A Mechanic?
If you are really interested, because it is a lot of commitments, you can also take courses to become a fully registered aviation mechanic in Paraguay. The classes are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, unless there is a holiday on that day, and are from 6 PM to 9 PM. It lasts for three years. The enrollment costs 770K Guaraníes each year, which is slightly under 100 American Dollars, or 90 Euros. You can pay in 30 monthly quotas of 660K Guaraníes. The requirements are the same: having a cédula or a passport photocopy, and a university degree.
If you are not a chicken, contrary to the writer of these lines, you should definitely try flying with Chakair! If you cannot take the entire course, choose the option of being a Pilot for a Day and have the experience of a lifetime! For more information, you can contact Chackair on Instagram. You can also connect with Aerotax, their partner company offerings trips around Paraguay based on demand.
Chakair Office Hours
The school office hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM and is closed on Sundays. The instruction is from 7 AM until the sun goes down. Instruction hours can depend on weather, holidays, and airport authorization, and might be outside of office hours.
Monday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Tuesday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Thursday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Friday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: Closed
