9 years on, Jakkur flying school regains wings

Bangalore: The buzz is back in Jakkur. On Monday, 10 youngsters aspiring for the Commercial Pilot Licence will realize their dreams when Government Flying Training School reopens after nine years. The new batch has started ground schooling and is ready to soar in the Cessna 152 (two-seater) or Cessna 172 (four-seater) under the guidance of Chief Flying Instructor Capt N Jayaprakash.

“We’ve got all the clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), including the Certificate of Airworthiness for the three trainer aircraft. On Monday, the training of the new batch will be flagged off,” BN Suresh, the new director, GFTS, told TOI.

The flying school, founded by the Maharaja of Mysore in the late 1940s, was a much-sought after training ground in India till it ran into trouble first in 1997 and again in 2002. In 2007, GFTS was again in the news for all the wrong reasons following a signature forgery case involving government officials. Efforts to revive the school then picked up momentum during the time when Goolihatti Shekhar was in office.

The GFTS now offers an 18-month course that will prepare candidates for the Student Pilot Licence, Private Pilot Licence and finally the CPL at a cost of Rs 14 lakh. The caution deposit of Rs 1 lakh is also collected.
18/03/11 Biju Babu Cyriac/Times of India