Training for pilots third time lucky

Calcutta: The state-sponsored commercial pilot training programme for youths from scheduled tribe (ST), scheduled caste (SC) and other backward class (OBC) categories, took off in July for the third time since 2010 after being grounded for over a year.

On July 1, a batch of eight students left for Sagar in Madhya Pradesh to join Chimes Aviation Academy. The next batch of nine students will leave for Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh on July 7 to join Saraswati Aviation Academy. Both the batches need to complete 160 more flying hours in around eight to 10 months.
Before awarding a commercial pilot’s licence, aviation training schools in India offer over 200 flying hours for students, including experience as pilot-in-command, night-time flying, cross-country and other technical categories.
But in the past three years, thanks to truncated training stints, they could hardly manage some 60 flying hours.
Also, the number of trainees now stands at 17, whittled down sharply from the original 30 in 2010.
04/06/13 Santosh K Kiro/The Telegraph