SOROTI FLYING SCHOOL
The East African Civil Aviation Academy (EACAA), popularly known as Soroti Flying School, is a premier aviation training institution based at Soroti Airport in Soroti, Eastern Uganda.
Established in September 1971 under the Directorate of Civil Aviation of the then East African Community (EAC), it was founded as a regional center of excellence to train pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, primarily for East African Airways. Key founding contributors included the governments of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania (via the EAC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Ugandan government upgraded the Soroti Airfield runway from grass to asphalt, while the EAC funded buildings, staff housing, and navigation facilities. UNDP/ICAO supplied training aircraft, engineering equipment, aids, vehicles, expatriate instructors, and counterpart training through programs running into the mid-1980s. East African Airways provided many of the early flying and engineering instructors.
After the collapse of the original EAC in 1977, the Ugandan government assumed management and funding of the academy. Efforts have been made over the years to return it to EAC ownership as a regional center of excellence, though operational and ownership arrangements have continued under Ugandan oversight (with ongoing discussions about formal status and government management).
Located on over 500 acres roughly 2 km northeast of Soroti town (about 400 metres from the taxi and bus parks), the campus benefits from Soroti Airport’s facilities, including a 1,860-metre asphalt runway (one of Uganda’s longer paved runways), a control tower, hangars, classrooms, dormitories (historically around 108 single-occupancy rooms), catering, simulators/flight training devices, and a weather station. Training aircraft have included types up to the Cessna 310, with fleet and simulator upgrades reported over time.
The academy offers programs leading to a Private Pilot Licence (PPL), a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), instrument and multi-engine ratings, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (airframe & powerplant / A&C, and electrical), flight operations/dispatch, and related short or specialized courses. Its qualifications are recognized internationally, and it has produced pilots, engineers, and aviation professionals who have served with East African Airways, Uganda Airlines, other regional and international carriers, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, and humanitarian operations.
Today, Soroti Flying School continues as a key institution for aviation training in East Africa, emphasizing safety, professionalism, and hands-on instruction while navigating institutional development and capacity needs. It remains a gateway for aspiring aviators from Uganda, the region, and beyond.
