Sky’s the limit for Assam Flying Club now
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