Aviation India: Careers

Delhi/Chandigarh: Thanks to the boom in the aviation industry and dearth of employees, many CPL (commercial pilot license) holders and aircraft engineers who migrated in search of greener pastures are now returning to their motherland, where they are getting a red carpet welcome by Indian companies.
According to sources, while Emirates pays around Rs 3 lakh per month to a pilot, Indian carriers pay anywhere between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh per month.
Canada, Australia, US, Singapore and the Gulf countries are some places from where NRI pilots are returning. Air India’s deputy general manager, training operations, Harpreet A De Singh says, “In India, the age of retirement for pilots is 65 unlike many countries where it is 60.
“As salaries are at par with the global standards, it is a better option for them to work in their own country where they have strong cultural ties,” said Surajit Banerjee, VP (HR), SpiceJet, that has recruited a couple of NRI pilots.
Apart from pilots, there are also engineers and technicians who are coming back. Moreover for employees it’s reunion with their relatives in the homeland,” says Kaul. The trend is quite strong, at present, as the demand is outstripping supply.
But, with consolidations in the sky and number of aircraft orders dipping, NRI and expats might not get the red carpet welcome they are getting today. “This trend may not continue for long as the gap between demand and supply is reducing,” says Ranganathan. But for now at least it’s a sweet home-coming for many Indians.
29/06/07 Vishakha Talreja & Maheswaran Parameswaran/Economic Times

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, the Pioneer Flying Training Institution in the country under the Ministry of Civil Aviation Govt. of India, has invited applications for admission to CPL and PPL to CPL courses commencing November 2007.
For CPL (Course A) , there are 40 seats in all and of which 6 are reserved for SC category and 3 for ST. The duration of course is 2 years, but likely to be reduced to one year.
Eligibility: 10 + 2 or its equivalent with Physics, Maths & English as main subjects with minimum 55% aggregate marks in Maths & Physics. For SC/ST candidates and those having higher degree in Science minimum aggregate marks in Physics & Maths is 50%.
IGRUA says the training would be Very High Quality for issue of CPL from 00:00 Hrs with Multi–engine endorsement and Instrument Rating (IR) on Single / Multi-engine Aircraft.

The Very High Quality training (Course B) for issue of CPL to PPL holders (with 60 hrs. of flying) with Multi-engine endorsement and IR on Single / Multi-engine Aircraft is available for only four students and of which one is reserved for SC category. The course duration is presently 1 ½ Years. and likely to be reduced to less than 1 year. Eligibility: 10+2 or its equivalent (With Maths, Physics & English) and valid Indian PPL/ PPL under issue. A total of 60 hrs. of flying including 30 hrs. of Solo since 1st November 2004.

Minimum age limit for both the courses is 17 years as on 01 Nov 2007.

Training fee: Provisional Rs.19.00 Lakhs for CPL and Rs.14.00 Lakhs for PPL to CPL course payable in four installments.

Selection procedure consists of Written Test, WOMBAT (Aptitude Test), Viva Test and Interview.
Written test will be conducted at allotted centres at New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkatta, Hyderabad and Bhopal on 9th September, 2007 at 10:30 hrs onwards.
(Allotment of centre will depend on number of candidates.)
For CPL (Course A), the syllabus for written test is notified as follows:
Paper- I: General English, Maths, Physics and Reasoning (10+2 level)
For PPL to CPL (Course B):
Paper- I: Aviation Subjects (PPL Level) and Paper- II : Reasoning.
60 % of marks is necessary to qualify in written test ( 55% for SC/ST).
Wondrous Original Method Of Basic Airmanship Testing (WOMBAT) - Aptitude test will be conducted at Delhi for Delhi candidates from 20th to 24th September, 2007.
For other candidates at IGRUA, Raebareli from 3rd to 5th October, 2007.
Minimum qualifying marks for WOMBAT test are 70%. No relaxation will be given for SC/ST
Interview for all successful candidates in WOMBAT will be conducted at IGRUA, Raebareli from 3rd October, 2007 onwards.
Application should be submitted in prescribed format that can be downloaded from here or here or here or here
For CPL (Course A) copy of proof of age (10th class certificate), mark sheets of 10th & 12th standard and higher qualifications, if any, caste certificate (for SC/ST) - attested by a Gazetted Officer and three self-attested recent passport size photographs are to be sent along with filled up application form. Application fee Rs. 3,000/- by Demand Draft in favor of ‘IGRUA’ drawn on any nationalized Bank payable at New Delhi or Raebareli too should be enclosed.

For PPL to CPL (Course B), all documents as for course 'A' and Flying hours (attested by CFI) and PPL (attested by Gazetted Officer) too should be sent.

The applications along with all the documents and fee should reach ' The Director, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi Fursatganj Airfield, Distt. Raebareli - 229302 (U.P.)' on or before 21st July, 07. E-Mail: gtd@igrua.gov.in Website: http://www.igrua.gov.in

For Course at ‘A’ candidates will have to submit a Class-II Medical Fitness Certificate from a DGCA approved Doctor at the time of joining. For details of Doctors, visit Website www.dgca.nic.in and for Course at ‘B’ Medical Fitness Certificate from AFCME, Delhi or IAM Bangalore.

Before applying, please see the detailed original notification here.

Faced with an acute talent crunch, companies in relatively new businesses such as insurance, retail, aviation, financial services and clinical research are either collaborating with academic institutions or setting up their own schools to create a pool from which they can recruit.
Companies such as Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, Toonz Animation Ltd and a few clinical research organizations such as Bilcare Ltd, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt Ltd and Siro Ltd are setting up academic institutions to offer training to students wanting to make a career in these sectors.
The UB Group has set up the Kingfisher Training Academy. According to Rajesh Verma, executive vice-president (in-flight office) Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, the academy strives to groom new entrants to the customer service industry—airlines, hotels, retail, and insurance. “We expect the first batch to graduate in November 2007. On completion of the course, Kingfisher Airlines would select students from the academy based on their suitability for the positions offered,” he says. By some estimates, the aviation industry could create 200,000 jobs by 2017.
26/06/07 Jeetha D’Silva/Livemint

Patiala: Punjab government’s aero engine workshop and instruments overhaul lab housed in the hanger of Birmi Academy at Patiala air base has been unused for almost three years.
Meanwhile, the in-charge avionic engineer of the lab also has left the job. Under such circumstances, the flying clubs of the state are forced to carry out the repair of aircraft either in Chennai, Delhi or Mumbai, burdening them with the financial concerns.
Earlier, the aircraft of neighbouring areas too were repaired in this workshop but ever since the hanger was handed over to the Academy, the lab ceased to function. Notably, during the Congress regime, the hanger, earlier allotted to the Northern India Flying Club (NIFC) in Patiala, was allotted to the Academy, apparently to please Malkit Singh Birmi, the then jail minister, leading to the lab no longer being part of the state’s civil aviation department.
According to Vijay Kumar, assistant secretary of the Northern India Flying Club, the lab had machinery worth crores of rupees but it was not utilised. He said that the court had allowed them to use the hanger but the staff of the private academy did not allow anyone inside the hanger. Satpreet Singh, chief ground inspector of the Academy denied the charges.
He said the keys of the lab were with the staff of Northern India Flying Club and no was one ever stopped from entering the hanger.
24/06/07 Times of India

Thales selected to provide the synthetic training aids for a new Training Centre
Thales has been chosen by Jupiter Aviation to supply training equipment for Airbus and Boeing aircraft for a new independent aircrew-training centre, to be established in Bangalore. This centre will compliment Jupiter’s network of ab-initio training centres in India and will also act as a recurrent training and Type Rating facility for India’s leading airlines.
Thales will initially be providing two Full Flight Simulators (FFS), one configured to the Airbus A320 and the second configured to the Boeing 737. Lower level training devises will also be supplied and these include Thales Formation Systems Trainers (TFST) and Thales Flight Management System Trainers (FMST). These are lower level training devise for aircraft systems training, providing full aircraft systems simulation fidelity in a classroom.
Jupiter Aviation will also be obtaining a second tranch of training equipment, including two further FFS (types to be determined) and TFST’s / FMST’s from Thales at a later date.
Chris Gane, Vice President of the Thales simulation business, said: “We are very pleased that our equipment has been selected by such a dynamic company as Jupiter Aviation. This success further emphasis our recent success in India, a country that is seeing major growth in the aviation sector.
Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Chairman and CEO, Jupiter Capital, commented: “This contract is part of a significant investment for the setting up an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility and aviation training & knowledge centres. We selected Thales because they are the market leaders in their field and most importantly they share our passion and will to succeed.”
23/06/07 PRESS RELEASE/ThalesOnline.com

Rockwell Collins, a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronics solutions, today announced an expanded strategic relationship with HCL Technologies Ltd. ("HCL"), India's leading global IT services company and a world class partner in delivering product engineering and enterprise IT services to the aerospace industry.
Under the terms of this renewable agreement, HCL will serve as an extension of Rockwell Collins' engineering centers, delivering high value services such as software, hardware and mechanical engineering for full product lifecycle development. Approximately 300 HCL engineers, professionals and experts will be dedicated be Rockwell Collins' offshore design and development centers in Chennai and Bangalore.
"This new design center plays a key role in providing additional resources we need to advance smart communications and aviation electronic solutions for our worldwide customer base," said Kelly Ortberg, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Commercial Systems at Rockwell Collins.
21/06/07 Business Wire/Epicos.com (press release), Switzerland

Pune: India's Rudradev Aviation has inked a USD 60 million deal with European aviation electronics major Thales to acquire flight simulators for a center that will train pilots for the country's booming aviation sector as well as Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
The four simulators and other training devices will be installed in a new aviation training centre that Rudradev is building in Chennai.
The simulators will be configured to train pilots for the Airbus A320, Airbus A330-200, Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 777-300, according to details announced by Thales at the Paris air show.
Thales will also supply "low-level training deviainers and flight management system trainers under the deal, said Mark Rouson, director of communications for simulation with Thales.
Besides training pilots to fly a large number of aircraft ordered by India's state-run and private carriers, the Rudradev centre will also train pilots from the Middle East and Southeast Asia, he said.
The centre will have class-rooms, support facilities, briefing and debriefing rooms and living accommodation for trainee pilots.
20/06/07 Zee News

Mysore: Frankfinn, the Air Hostess Training Institute, is conducting spot interviews followed by a Mega Information Seminar for careers as Air Hostesses, Flight Stewards, Hospitality and Travel Professionals at Hotel Regaalis (Southern Star) here in city on June 24 at 5 pm.
Frankfinn has more than 75 centres spread across the country and offers International Qualification, BTEC HNC in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management, awarded by Edexel, UK. Edexel is the largest awarding bodies in the world for vocational and academic qualification. BTEC HNC is a vocational qualification recognised in 110 countries and more than 6000 institutes.
Frankfinn is the only Institute in the world to have an exclusive cabin crew recruitment tie-up with India's second largest airline Air Deccan. The airlines demand the highest standards of training from an institute before they get into an exclusive tie-up with an airline.
20/06/07 Star of Mysore

Le Bourget, Paris: CAE Inc., Canada has signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to develop the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI). CAE has also signed a memorandum of understanding to become the managing partner of the Indian government's flight training academy: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA).
More than 400 pilots would be licensed annually through these new schools. The total output would grow to over 600 pilots with the Multi Pilot Licence (MPL) stream of licensing.
"The selection of CAE by the government of India for these schools is asignificant milestone for flight training in India," said Jeff Roberts, CAE's Group President, Innovation and Civil Training & Services. "Given our extensive experience in building world-class flight-training organizations, we intend to provide India with the expertise and support they need to develop a solid infrastructure and implement the most modern standards in flight training. With these new schools, which would complement our upcoming training centre in Bangalore, we will be able to address the need for pilots in India."
"Creating these world-class institutions in-country with CAE as ourpartner is a major government initiative targeted at tackling both the acute shortage of Indian pilots while improving the overall quality of the cadet supply within India," said Praful Patel, India's Minister of Civil Aviation.
Once final agreements are signed, CAE will offer these schools the possibility of becoming members of the CAE Global Academy. The CAE Global Academy is a worldwide network of flight training organizations that offers pilot candidates an optimized program with standard operating procedures. CAE currently has six member schools in its Global Academy and can license annually 1,000 pilots. Once they have graduated from the Academy, the new first officers are able to proceed for type-rating in one of CAE's training centres, including CAE's upcoming training centre in Bangalore. CAE has contracts with several airlines to supply them with pilots. CAE has recruited, trained and supplied more than 800 pilots for commercial airlines over the last year.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, the National Flying Training Institute will be jointly owned by CAE and AAI. Located at GONDIA in the State of Maharashtra, the Institute will include a state-of-the-art facility equipped with classrooms, a hostel, a library, a workshop, a cafeteria, a guest house and a club. The school will operate new aircraft, and will use CAE's courseware and innovative training equipment. The total investment for NFTI is approximately US$25 million. When fully operational, it is estimated that the NFTI will create approximately 200 pilots a year.
CAE will manage IGRUA's existing flight school activities, including maintenance of aircraft,
flying operations, air traffic control, runway maintenance, NAV aids, fire fighting facilities, medical facilities, security, staff and student facilities, as well as transportation.
19/06/07 CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse), Canada

Guwahati: The Assam Flying Club, the only aero club of the Northeast, is rising like the proverbial phoenix. Its attempt to spread its wings in 2002 was but a brief flicker, but now it is confident it will soar to the top.
The civil aviation ministry has decided to restore the club’s authority to issue commercial pilot licences (CPLs), the USP of any flying club.
The club had lost this distinction in 1988 since it did not have an experienced instructor for so long.
Assam Flying Club secretary Jatin Borchetia disclosed that the state government has also promised to release all funds for reviving the club, which has been inactive since 1988.
Though the government tried to revive the club in 2002, it failed to attract aspirant pilots since it was not competent to issue CPLs.
“The Aero Club of India has agreed, in principle at least, to lease out a Cessna-152. This will put the number of aircraft at our disposal at three. Besides, since there is an acute crisis of senior instructors, the office of the director-general in the civil aviation ministry has also agreed to relax certain criteria relating to the competence of instructors. That way, our instructor will be considered competent enough to train candidates for CPLs,” Borchetia added.
At present, the AFC has a Cessna-152 and a Pushpak MK-1 aircraft.
The flying club is located at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Borjhar, where it has its office and classrooms.
18/06/07 Calcutta Telegraph

India’s fifth largest software services exporter HCL Technologies, a major player in the aerospace industry and a partner in Boeing's 787 programme, is planning to hire more engineers at its two development centres to meet rising demand from the aviation sector.
"We see good growth in the aviation sector for at least 9-10 years due to the demand for aircraft in India," HCL Corporate Vice President and Head of Technology Division G H Rao said.
Rao said the company currently has 1,000 engineers at its two centres in Bangalore and Chennai working on hardware, software and mechanical engineering for the aerospace sector and plans to induct more to ramp up operations at the facilities.
About six per cent of the revenues of the company, which will participate in the Paris Air Show to showcase its products and services, come from the aerospace sector.
HCL has tie-ups with Boeing, which has selected it as a software development partner for the 787 Dreamliner programme, and Smiths Aerospace, with which it opened a development centre with 60 engineers in Chennai in February this year.
Rao said the company was also eyeing opportunities provided by the 30 per cent offsets clause in all defence deals worth over Rs 300 crore as well as the growing satellite launch market.
18/06/07 SDA Asia Magazine, Singapore

Oman Air has teamed up with India's SpiceJet low-cost airline in a bid to acquire more pilots and expand its air crew, the company announced today.
Captain Hamed Al Jabry, senior manager of line operations at Oman Air, said that the airline was recently in India to look for a partner to provide Oman Air with ‘well-trained quality Boeing 737 pilots'.
Oman Air has teamed up with India's SpiceJet low-cost airline in a bid to acquire more pilots and expand its air crew, the company announced today.
Captain Hamed Al Jabry, senior manager of line operations at Oman Air, said that the airline was recently in India to look for a partner to provide Oman Air with ‘well-trained quality Boeing 737 pilots'.
To meet the company's future expansion goals, the airline designated a group of Omani graduates to undergo full Joint Aviation Authority Airline Transport Pilots License at Atlantic Flight Training in the UK.
Until the new pilots are ready to take to the skies, SpiceJet will hire out its Boeing 737 pilots to Oman Air. The deal will also see the low-cost airline's crew gain international exposure and training.
18/06/07 Safura Rahimi/ArabianBusiness.com

Naomi Lobo
Pune Newsline
June 18, 2007
If travel is your calling, then maybe a flight attendant’s job is for you. Only, it isn’t as glamorous as it looks. It’s highly competitive, has unpleasantly long hours and demands you be your best even at the worst of times.
Mercifully, airhostess academies are sprouting like wild mushroom. Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Frankfinn Institute of Airhostess Training, Indian Aviation Acadmy (IAA), Flying Cats and Avalon are just a few. Technically, there are around 100-odd institutes but only six to seven big players. With course fees ranging from Rs 60,000 to nearly Rs 2,50,000, the one question that comes to mind is, are the courses worth the money?
Read The Rest>>>

The flight from Prem Mathur, the first Indian woman to become a commercial pilot more than 50 years ago, to the youngest commercial pilot, 18-year-old Japji Kaur Cheema, has been a long one but women are finally chasing their lofty dreams.
At the Sabena Airline Training Center in the US, three girls from diverse backgrounds have finished their first solos. Tanvitha, a 21-year-old from Bangalore is a BE in mechanical engineering. Shiv Priya Kapur, 23, has abandoned boring hotel management for her thrilling new career while Kanika Mehra, an electrical engineering graduate from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, is realising a childhood dream to fly with parental approval.
Once their training — sponsored by SpiceJet is over — they'll join the growing ranks of professional women pilots in the country.
That the doors of the cockpit are opening to the fairer sex is vouched for by flying schools. Captain Mamta, who runs Fly Tech Aviation in Hyderabad, says the intake of women trainees has increased by 10-12% in the last two years. Recalling her own days as a student, she says, “From one or two women in a batch of 100 students, it's now around 10 or 12."
Indian has 76 women pilots, and the number is rising with every new batch. Forty of Air Deccan's 496 pilots are women, says Pratyasha Singh, the airline's corporate communications officer. Even the crew shuttle buses at its Chennai base are driven by women.
Kingfisher, which has 26 women from a total of 390 pilots, got its first woman captain just recently.
And with so much interest in aviation, how come women have not yet ventured into another uncharted territory — flying helicopters?
"Choppers have attracted few women as compared to fixed wing aircrafts because they are riskier and the pay isn't as lucrative," explains D A Yadav, public relations manager of Pawan Hans. But the winds of change are blowing here as well. After a gap of many years, the company is now getting ready to welcome its first woman pilot into the fold.
17/06/07 Amrita Singh & Neelam Raaj/Times of India

Manraj Grewal
Indian Express
June 17, 2997
It’s difficult to tell where she comes from. Attired in a designer dress with silk stockings, Italian pumps, a quasi-British accent, and an attitude to match, she could be from anywhere in the western world. So you do a double take when she breaks into Punjabi, the kind you hear only in the dusty boondocks of Punjab’s Malwa belt.
Mamta Sachdeva, 24, a stewardess with Etihad Airlines, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, laughs at your bewilderment, and then makes the introductions: “I am Mamta, from Moga.”
As a child, Mamta would shut her eyes to the bitter fights in her two-room house in the narrow Patti Wali Gali of Moga and dream—of flying. There was a lot to escape from. When she was barely eight, mental illness forced her father, a tailor, to drop out of work. Her feisty mother eked out a living by selling clothes at a roadside stall. Life was tough. Today, two-and-a-half years into her career, Mamta draws a handsome Rs 75,000 a month along with free accommodation and transport; she has travelled to 30 countries and spends her spare time learning new languages—she is on the verge of mastering Arabic. These days, she is scouting the real estate market in Punjab to buy a flat for her parents. Read The Rest >>>

Hyderabad: The Indian Air Force is reintroducing the Short Service Commission (SSC) for men from next year.
This was announced by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major at the Dundigal Air Force Academy here on Saturday.
The SSC was introduced in the IAF in 1990 but was withdrawn three years later. Now the SSC is available to women flying officers. After reintroduction for men, it will be extended for flying officers of the transport, fighter and helicopter streams.
Earlier, the term of the SSC was 10 years. Now, it has been increased to 14 years. After serving the Air Force for 14 years, cadets could resign from service. The idea is to attract talented and adventurous youngsters to the IAF and meet the demand for commercial pilots in the civil aviation sector.
Now that the SSC was being reintroduced, the infrastructure at the Dundigal Academy would be strengthened, the Chief of the Air Staff told reporters after reviewing a passing out, combined graduation parade of flight cadets.
17/06/07 The Hindu

New Delhi: Already grappling with an acute crunch of co-pilots, the industry now also faces a shortage of commanders or captains (i.e. senior pilots with experience of more than 1,500 flying hours). Worse still, the situation doesn’t look too good in the future as it is estimated that there is a shortfall of 500 pilots in the country every year — of which more than 50% are commanders.
It takes nearly four years for a co-pilot to become a captain, though various airlines have different requirements to promote a co-pilot to the position of a captain. “....However, as it takes time to graduate to a level of captain, many airlines are recruiting expats for the job,” says Randeep Panag, director, United Aviation, a pilot training school.
Says Paramount Airways MD, M Thiagarajan, “... it will take at least four to five years before we can bridge this huge gap. ”
Currently, 2,500 pilots are working with airlines in India, of which 475 are expat pilots. “Airlines team up a foreign commander with an Indian co-pilot since at least one of the crew members should be an Indian, according to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requirements,” says an industry source. In view of the shortage of co-pilots, DGCA had only recently issued a circular allowing airlines to have a crew of expat pilots.
“Owing to the acute paucity, we do depend on expatriate pilots to a large extent, especially for the ATR fleet,” says a Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson.
Indian recently advertised to fill up 239 vacancies of co-pilots. Although Indian officials claim that over 100 applications were received, sources said the actual number was much lower. To avoid such a situation, airline HR heads are designing policies keeping the expat factor in mind. Many airlines which earlier recruited pilots through HR agencies are hiring on their own by placing ads in various international newspapers.
But with around 460 planes to be added in next four years, it seems that the expats will remain in command of the cockpit.
17/06/07 Raja Awasthi & Vishakha Talreja/Economic Times

Amritsar: Former Miss India and Cine star Neha Dhupia launched a aviation training and personality makeover institute here today.
During the launch, Dhupia also briefed everyone about how perfect grooming is important in today's times and about her experience of strict and disciplined training and grooming during the Miss India and Miss Universe contest.
She said the key to success in any service industry is a well-groomed personality but in the aviation and hospitality industry it is the lifeline.
13/06/07 ANI/South Asian Women's Forum

Upland, California: A student pilot involved in last week's crash of a twin-engine plane near Cable Airport will try to pass his flying test for the third time.
But he won't be landing at Cable.
Airport president Bob Cable said the Van Nuys-based flight school will not be allowed to fly into Cable until a federal investigation into the crash is complete.
"If there is a problem with training or procedures, we want them to fix it before they come here," he said.
Vishal Choudhry had already failed one flight test.
The 18-year-old Indian man was trying a second time when the Piper Seneca he was in crashed into three houses about three blocks east of the airport.
Steve Rez, owner of the Aero Club flight school where the plane was based, said flight instructor Eli Tousson was probably to blame.
He said Tousson apparently turned off one engine to simulate a stall.
When Choudhry could not regain control, Tousson could not prevent the plane from crashing into one home, bouncing off a second and landing on the garage roof of a third.
Two of the homes on West Blossom Circle were severely damaged.
No one in the plane was seriously injured, and no one was in the homes at the time of the crash.
Rez had hoped Choudhry would take his third shot at the flight test last weekend or earlier this week.
13/06/07 Mark Petix/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, US

Patiala: The Punjab Government has sought Public Private Partnership to set up three flying training schools at Amritsar, Ludhiana and Bathinda besides upgrading the infrastructure at Patiala Flying Training Academy, Civil Aviation Minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur said here today.
When asked about Birmi Flying Academy at Patiala which was started by former Congress minister Malkiat Singh Birmi, she said that no such academy has existed at any place Punjab and government will revamp whole the process and will also cancel the allotment of hangers at various flying clubs in Punjab.
She said that she has asked the officials of Civil Aviation Department not to miss the aviation boom and asked them to tie up with the leading players in the field of civil aviation for setting up of world-class pilot training centers in the state.
She further added that Secretary Civil Aviation will submit a detailed proposal for the up-gradation of Sahnewal Airfield in collaboration with Airport Authority of India in a joint venture.
07/06/07 Zee News

Upland, California: Don't ever call Vishal Choudhry a quitter.
The 18-year-old Indian man who was trying to earn his pilot's license when the plane he was in crashed into three homes Monday will give it another shot.
Steve Rez, owner of the Aero Club flight school in Van Nuys where the ill-fated Piper Seneca was based, said Choudhry will likely take his test, or checkflight, Saturday or Monday.
"Well, he has a job waiting for him in India," Rez said. "So we're going to take another checkflight."
Choudhry failed his first checkflight and was giving it a second try when the twin-engine plane carrying him, flight instructor Eli Tousson, 54, and Vijay Dsouza, 34, crashed into three homes on West Blossom Circle.
The plane bounced off the first two homes and landed on the garage roof of the third.
The three men suffered only minor to moderate injuries. No one else was injured.
Rez said he has no misgivings about giving Choudhry one more chance.
"Pilots are in great need in India and China," he said. "They have thousands of openings, and the pilots need to be trained."
An attempt to locate Choudhry for comment was unsuccessful.
Rez said he believes the flight instructor was probably responsible for the crash. He said Tousson apparently turned off one engine to simulate a stall.
When Choudhry failed to regain control, Tousson was not able to pull the plane out of the stall in time.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said Tousson has a top-notch flight rating.
Highly rated or not, Rez said a different instructor will fly with Choudhry.
Yes, Choudhry will be taking the same route from Van Nuys Airport to Cable Airport as he did Monday.
07/06/07 Mark Petix and Megan Blaney/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, US

Ludhiana: Thirteen students of the FrankFinn Institute are going to United Kingdom to pursue their BTEC Higher National Diploma in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management. Addressing mediapersons here today, Centre Manager Savita Chaddha said the one-year training will be held at New College, Nottingham.
Out of the total 13 students, Ludhiana students have bagged eight seats. Among the rest, five students are from Jalandhar, and one from Amritsar. Speaking about the training, Chaddha said, “The students will spend six months in classroom training, and six in practical training. The best part of this course is that the students get an opportunity to earn during their practical training.”
Chaddha added that the institute has tied up with State Bank of Patiala, to extend educational loans to the students.
07/06/07 Ludhiana Newsline

Kolkata: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is likely to recruit 519 officers in the communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) department to meet the existing shortage of staff strength in the sector. The city airport, which now has 83 officers in the CNS department will get 24 more officers by 2007-end.
The existing staff strength of the CNS is now 1,700, much lower than the sanctioned staff strength of 2,700. Taking stock at the situation, the Airports Authority Officers Association (AAOS) urged the AAI management to recruit new officers in the CNS.
"The AAI management finally accepted our demand and is expected to come out with the recruitment order in the next two-three months," Samir Banerjee, regional secretary, AAOS said.
05/06/07 Asian Age

Mumbaikars can now give wings to their dreams in the city itself. With the Bombay Flying Club re-starting its operations after a gap of almost two years, aspiring pilots in Mumbai need not go out of the city to learn the ropes.
The Bombay Flying Club has been facing a crunch of Chief Flying Instructors (CFIs). But with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) approval of a chief pilot instructor, aspirants now have the opportunity to learn flying in their own city.
Captain Mihir Bhagvati, president, The Bombay Flying Club, told DNA: “Forty five-year-old Captain Ashok Makwana, an experienced pilot, has got the DGCA approval. He will be the pilot instructor incharge (PII). Captain Jaiswal, chief flying instructor, Baroda Flying Club, would be overlooking flying activities. We have now announced full fledged admissions for aspiring pilots.”
Currently the club will be able to accommodate 30 students.
The flying club has also purchased a new Cessna 172 aircraft for the advanced flying training. Its current fleet consists of Cessna 152 A, Piper Super Cob and now, Cessna 172.
Aspiring pilots, who have done ground training in India, have had no option but to go to foreign countries to complete their flying because of the shortage of CFIs. Flying instructors prefer airlines rather than flying clubs as they are paid four to five times more.
03/06/07 Megha Chaturvedi/Daily News & Analysis

Today, Air Deccan offers all-women crew in its flights from Bangalore and Chennai. So from managing the cockpit (read henpit) to serving the passengers, the fair sex is on the job. “With high number of women pilots, especially at Bangalore and Chennai bases, the all-women crew flights have happened by chance and not by design,” says Indira Mittra, Chennai base captain, Air Deccan.
The airline boasts of the highest number of women pilots in the Indian aviation industry. Of a total of 496 of its pilots, 40 are women. Adds deputy COO of Air Deccan, Captain Preetham Phillip: “As more and more women qualify for being captains the probability of all women crew flights will only increase”. Last year the airline had 33 women flying its planes and a year before that only 10.
India’s youngest pilot, all of 18 years, is also a woman. Japji Cheema, Chandigarh-based girl, has been recruited by SpiceJet.
At Air Deccan’s Bangalore base, out of a total of 75 pilots, 14 are women pilots and at Chennai, there are five women pilots. There are around 26 departures from these two bases everyday, many of them being ‘all women crew’ flights.
Air-India has 36 women pilots out of a total of 650.Other airlines too are flying high with women crew. Kingfisher has 10 women out of a total of 3,00 pilots and of course it boasts of 100% female cabin crew. Till last week, when Kingfisher got it’s first woman captain, all women were working as co-pilots or first rank officers.
A US Air Force panel also concluded that women made better pilots (more exacting at details and better at making good decisions) than most men.
03/06/07 Vishakha Talreja/Economic Times