In the program of Hungarian TV channel M1 on Tuesday, Brig.-Gen. József Koller, the commander of the HDF Szolnok Helicopter Base said that after twenty years, the training of military pilots and air traffic controllers is to resume in Hungary at the National University of Public Service and the Szolnok air base.

The brigadier-general added that the launch of the training program is necessitated by the replacement of military pilots leaving the air force and the commissioning of new aircraft.

He noted that after four years of training, the students may become fighter pilots, transport aircraft pilots or helicopter pilots.

Following two years of general studies, the students will receive flying training in Szolnok, where they will gain experience while flying 220 hours in total until they obtain their diplomas, he added.

Speaking in the program “180 minutes” on Kossuth Radio on Tuesday, the brigadier-general revealed that the pilot training will start with 15-20 students in 2018.

He said that the most important eligibility criterion is perfect health condition. A medical evaluation board of the Hungarian Defence Forces will conduct the three-day aptitude test in Kecskemét.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)