Pilot certification norms to be as tough as in US, UK

With the aviation watchdog proposing tighter checks to plug the loopholes in the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) issuing process, the certification system in India is due for a major overhaul.

As the new norms come into force over the next few days, the revised framework will mirror the rules in the the US and Europe. In such developed aviation markets, the IT supported certification process involves rigorous tests and strict procedures that attempt to minimise any chance of forgery and false claims.

The need for a revision of the Indian system was felt after it was discovered this year that some pilots with domestic airlines had obtained ATPL licences based on forged documents. This caught the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the back-foot, as a few of its officials and pilots were arrested after a review of 8,000 licences.

Among the changes proposed, the regulator plans to make verification from the original licensing authority mandatory for pilots looking to convert a foreign licence to a domestic one. Also, all pilots will have to undergo skill tests, with additional tests for flying more advanced aircraft.

“Previously, a pilot had to take just two tests to convert a foreign pilot licence to an Indian one,” Mr E. K. Bharat Bhushan, Director-General, DGCA, recently told Business Line . “But we are looking to put in some safeguards by making changes in the licensing agreement. It will become more rigorous now.”

As a measure against favouritism by its own employees to candidates, DGCA has put a joint secretary-level vigilance officer in place and installed CCTVs on its premises. To make the system more transparent by removing the involvement of middlemen, the “DGCA is actively pursuing IT-enabled solutions for the licensing process”.

From July, the ATPL exam will go online in Delhi and a few other centres. Meanwhile, a list of approved flight training institutes will be provided to the licensing directorate, and they will be audited by three separate DGCA teams.

Online testing for pilots is followed in the US as well. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) even registers applicants online through the Integrated Airmen Certification or Rating Application (IACRA).

Certification in the US

Online registration through IACRA helps get rid of paper work and, hence, the risk of any tampering. The system interfaces with multiple FAA national databases to validate data and verify specific fields. IACRA automatically ensures applicants meet regulatory requirements through business rules and data validation.

Following the registration, pilots are required to pass a knowledge test. To make the system transparent and simple, the FAA provides the resources to prepare for the knowledge tests at various pilot supply stores and vendors.

Becoming an airline transport pilot is a rigorous process. One must obtain the commercial pilot's licence first. To apply for a commercial pilot licence (CPL) in the US, one must first hold a private pilot's certificate.

The applicant must log in a specified amount of training and experience hours. As part of the single-engine class rating requirements, at least 250 hours of piloting time is required with 20 hours of training with an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight.

Additional requirements include cross-country flights of distances more than 50 nautical miles (93 km) from the departure airport. After complying with these requirements, the pilot must pass an oral test and flight test administered by an FAA inspector.

To obtain an ATPL, the minimum pilot experience required is 1,500 hours of flight time, 500 hours of cross-country flight time, 100 hours of night flight time, and 75 hours instrument operations time (simulated or actual).

Requirements in the UK

The UK also requires applicants to take the written test online. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) administers the tests. CPL applicants in the UK are required to complete an approved ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Course together with 14 ATPL theoretical examinations.

Additional requirements include at least 200 hours of flying time, including 100 hours acting as the pilot in command, and 20 hours cross-country flying experience with at least one solo flight of not less that 200 nautical miles.

Applicants must also have 10 hours instrument instruction, of which no more than five may be instrument ground time and five hours of night instruction, including five take-offs and landings.

Having once completed the CPL requirements, the pilot can apply for an ATPL. This is, again, a stringent process with numerous requirements. A pilot applying for ATPL needs to complete 1,500 hours of flying time. Where a simulator is permitted, no more than 100 hours (of which 25 may be in basic instrument training devices) may be credited towards the issue of the licence.

Of the 1,500 hours, the applicant is to have completed 250 hours as pilot-in-command (PIC), of which 150 may be PICUS (Pilot In Command Under Supervision), 200 hours cross-country (of which 100 must be as PIC or PICUS), 75 hours instrument time of which not more than 30 may be Instrument Ground Time, 100 hours night flight as PIC or co-pilot and 500 hours in multi-pilot operations in large aeroplanes with a maximum take-off weight of at least 5,700 kg.

> d.das@thehindu.co.in