With no trained pilots to fly the government aircraft for VVIPs, Maharashtra chief minister and other ministers are opting for commercial aircraft or hiring private aircraft. While this is an added expense to the already burdened exchequer, it also means that the high-end Cessna Citation 560XLS has not been flown for about a year now. The only pilot qualified to fly the high-end Cessna Citation 560XLS that was bought at the cost of Rs67 crore six years put in his papers about a year ago.
Though there are four other pilots, none are experienced to fly the aircraft. The government also has a Sikorsky S76C++ helicopter. Avatar Singh, a former Air Force officer, was recruited in March but he too hasn’t flown the Citation for 150 hours, a condition mandatory to fly VIP aircraft.
The government has now forced to recruit an foreign trainer to help Singh fulfil the condition. “Singh has an overall experience of more than 3,000 hours required for flying VIP aircraft but does not have the experience of flying the Cesna Citation for more than 150 hours. Two agencies have responded to our bid for a trainer; we expect to recruit one by next month,” said an official from Mantralaya.
06/05/16 Nyooz
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Though there are four other pilots, none are experienced to fly the aircraft. The government also has a Sikorsky S76C++ helicopter. Avatar Singh, a former Air Force officer, was recruited in March but he too hasn’t flown the Citation for 150 hours, a condition mandatory to fly VIP aircraft.
The government has now forced to recruit an foreign trainer to help Singh fulfil the condition. “Singh has an overall experience of more than 3,000 hours required for flying VIP aircraft but does not have the experience of flying the Cesna Citation for more than 150 hours. Two agencies have responded to our bid for a trainer; we expect to recruit one by next month,” said an official from Mantralaya.
06/05/16 Nyooz
