Red tape, lack of transparency resulting in malpractices: Pilots

Mumbai: The fake pilot license scam has its roots in the red-tapism and lack of transparency in the workings of the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), say industry experts.
Moreover, the time-consuming examination to get the commercial pilot license (CPL), and stodgy human interface in the absence of computerisation, is making frustrated students take a short cut and indulge in malpractices.
“While abroad a student needs 40% to get a CPL, in India the percentage is 70. Moreover, while DGCA conducts CPL exams every three months, there are weekly exams in foreign countries,” said the owner of a training school.
A student needs to complete 200 hours of flight training and clear four papers within a span of two years. If he has passed in say two papers but has been unable to clear the remaining within two years, he has the appear for all the papers again. “This is very time consuming and if a student has failed in one paper he has to wait for three months for the next exam,” he said.
According to the Airlines Pilot Association of India (ALPAI), which has over 2,000 pilots from Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher as its members, the problem can be solved with computerisation of exams conducted by DGCA. “There should be minimum human interface for issuing of licenses,” said Captain S Marwah, president of ALPAI. “In fact, submission of documents by candidates should also be online.”
24/03/11 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2011