India`s first aviation show to be held in Hyderabad from Oct 15-18

Hyderabad will host the country's first International Exhibition and Conference on civil aviation, India Aviation 2008, from October 15 to 18, a top official said here on Tuesday. The four-day event jointly organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI, with the United States being the partner country, will be held at the Begumpet airport here, Ministry of Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar said on Tuesday. The event will showcase the development of Indian Civil Aviation sector and a theme pavilion displaying rare photographs and models will highlight its past, present and future, he said. Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel will inaugurate the event and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy will be the chief guest while eminent speakers from the aviation sector across the globe will present key-note addresses, Nambiar said. A fly-past by Surya Kirans from Indian Air Force followed by para sailing, para-jumping and hot air ballooning by Aero Club of India will mark the opening ceremony. A new Airbus-319 will be inducted to Air India fleet, coinciding with the closure of inaugural function while another highlight will be arrival of the largest passenger aircraft in the world, Airbus A-380 from France, he said. The event will provide a platform to forge new partnerships between global and domestic companies, Nambiar said, adding around 35 CEOs from major aviation companies would discuss their future plans and policy issues.

Pilots needed in India

Air India has a shortage of pilots, particularly those qualified to fly Boeing 777 aircraft. In fact, this shortage of Boeing 777 type-rated pilots has caused India's national flag carrier to temporarily suspend its passenger service between Kolkata and London, a route served by Boeing 777 aircraft. An airline official in Kolkata noted that, if not remedied soon, the pilot shortage could affect Air India flights to Chicago, New York and London from Delhi and Mumbai as well.Air India, a government-owned carrier, currently employs about 800 pilots, 117 of whom are foreigners. Since there are too few Indian nationals with the needed type ratings and command experience on the Boeing 777, Air India employs ex-pat pilots to fill the vacancies. The Careers page on the Air India website specifies a current need for more ex-pat pilots who are already qualified to fly B777-200/300 aircraft. Online applications for these positions are being accepted now.So, how did this situation come about? According to an article about the pilot shortage in the Times of India, the current crisis began when Air India's three-year contract with 20 pilots expired this month. Another 10 pilots have just retired. Most of those pilots were Boeing 777 commanders.An article in The Hindu quoted an Air India spokesman who said that Air India was "expediting the pace of training of pilots and three Captains were turning out every month to fly B-777 aircraft." The carrier also sends young pilots for training to flying schools in the U.S., but this does little to fill the immediate need for experienced aircraft commanders. Thus, the airline is seeking qualified pilots from abroad.Pilot poaching is another issue that comes into play. The article in The Hindu elaborates:
Some of the senior commanders told The Hindu that despite an unwritten “no-poaching” pact among airlines in the country as many as 31 pilots left JetLite, formerly Air Sahara, and now acquired by Jet Airways as its low-cost arm, over the past two months, and joined Kingfisher Airlines, which is an on a expansion spree after its promoter Vijay Mallya acquired a stake in Air Deccan.“All these pilots who were operating Boeing 737 will be able to fly wide bodied jets like A-340 after a brief spell of training on simulators. The same pool of trained pilots could have been available to Air India for its B-777 fleet as it would have required just four sessions on simulators. As a majority of pilots are on contracts, there is no question of overtaking anyone’s seniority,” industry sources said.The Hindu notes that private carriers in India employ ex-pat pilots, too. Jet Airways employs about 100 foreign pilots, IndiGo has 84 foreigners as pilots and Paramount Airways has 11, while cargo carrier Blue Dart has 10 foreign pilots, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. In addition, some 900 of the 2,500 pilots employed in the civil aviation sector are foreigners. About five per cent are above 60 years and are from the U.S. The retirement age for pilots in India is now 65.

Aviation - Procedure 4 being PILOT !!

Procedure for Being a PILOT !!
ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility is 10 + 2 from Regconised SchoolThe eligibility for of 10+2 with Physics and Maths is required at the time of appearing for the D.G.C.A examinations. So , if you are going for international flight training then you can give these examinations once you have completed the examinations. You do not need to clear the examinations before you start your flight training. If you are not from science stream you can apply at National Institute of Open School http://www.nos.org

MEDICAL
Before you begin your studies, you need to go through a thorough medical checkup which would declare you medically fit. There are two steps for obtaining the medical clearance, Class II Medical and Class I Medical. You can obtain the Class II medical from any D.G.C.A approved doctor. The list of D.G.C.A approved doctors who can issue you the Class II Medical Certificate is available on http://dgca.nic.in/medical/class2-ind.htm The academy recommends … After you have obtained the Class II Medical certificate, you need to apply for a Class I Medical Certificate to the D.G.C.A. at http://dgca.nic.in/medical/medical-ind.htm The file that you send to D.G.C.A for Class I has to have the Class II Medical Certificate attached with it. You would be allocated a date by the concerned authorities. Nowadays, this date can be upto a period of 2-3 months later. What we suggest to people is that they can undertake a Mock Class I or an Advanced Class II which has all the tests of Class I Medical, so that if there are any medical problems you can work them out strongly.

GROUND TRAINING
After you have undertaken the D.G.C.A Class II medical exam, you would enroll for the Ground Training Programme defined by the institute. This Ground Training would last for a period of 2 to 3 months to cover the following subjects: A. Air Regulation B. Air Navigation C. Aviation Meteorology D. Aircraft Technical i. General ii. Specific

RTR (A)
At the time of attending the ground classes of Radio Telephony Restricted (Aeronautical) are taken . It is a transmission paper taken by the Ministry of Communications and a COP is issued by its WPC wing. http://www.wpc.dot.gov.in/

FLIGHT TRAINING
Simultaneous to the ground training, would be the procedure of selecting the flying club you want to go to for the final flight training. This decision has to be made on the basis of country preferences, quality of flight training and cost factors. Currently following countries are in demand : India , United States of America , Canada , Australia Philippines , New Zealand , Serbia , South Africa & Germany

FLIGHT TRAINING ABROAD
The basic package that you would undertake at these institutes would have the following components : 1 Theoretical Studies 2. Medicals 3. SPL 4. PPL 5. CPL 6. Multi Engine & Instrument Rating 7. Accommodation 8. Food 9. Travel 10. Insurance

VISA
Once you decide on the flight training academy abroad, our institute would start your Visa Processing for that country. This process can take 4-8 weeks and you would be undertaking Ground Training during this time at our institute. Once you have acquired the Visa, you would be all set to go for the flight training programme in your selected academy.

CONVERSION
Once you have acquired the CPL of that specific country, you would come back to India to convert the CPL of that country to an Indian CPL.The process of converting the CPL to an Indian CPL requires the following procedure to be implemented. Clearing the D.G.C.A conversion examinations having the following : i. Air Regulations ii. Composite Examination An exam which is called composite because it has both the subjects of Air Navigation and Meteorology as part of the exam. For clearing the conversion examinations you would have to go through the Final Ground Training at our institute for a period of 2-3 months. This refresher programme is FREE OF COST Having cleared the D.G.C.A examinations you can apply for the conversion of license. Our institute would assist you in processing this application. You can get a detailed information about the same on the this link : http://dgca.nic.in/licencing/conversion.pdf

APPLYING TO THE AIRLINE
Once you get your license, you would get the Indian CPL. You are now in a position to Apply to the Airlines.

Aviation - More Insight about being Pilot !!

I’m sure that every one of you has dreamt of flying at one point or the other in your life. For some it is just a dream, but for some individuals like myself it is a little more than a dream, it is a passion. I always wanted to get into a cockpit and just reach for the skies, but wondered how?
Many questions just flood your mind, like, what are the qualifications required? Do I need to do a specialized vocational course to become a pilot? How much does it cost? Where will I do my flying? How will I do my flying? How can I fulfill my dream?
Well nowadays it is far easier to become a pilot than you ever thought. The whole process for becoming a pilot starts from within you. If you achieve the right frame of mind and aptitude, then the rest of it is just a cake walk. After you have your mind set, all you need to do is to appear for the DGCA or Director General of Civil Aviation examinations held every three months. Well to start flying you require a license, and the beginners start of with a CPL or a commercial pilot’s license. For getting this license you need to clear just three general subject papers and two technical subject papers of the DGCA.
The three general subjects are Air Navigation, Air Regulation and Meteorology. Navigation is basically a subject which will familiarize you with the instruments and aids required to find your way among the skies. And like any other profession, aviation also has certain rules and regulations. You will be familiarized with these in the subject of Air Regulation. And, the third and the most interesting subject of these three is Meteorology. This subject tells you about the environment you fly in. How the clouds and winds are formed and what effects they can have on you and your aircraft.Apart from these three general subjects, there are two technical subjects as well one is the technical general, which deals with the theory of flight i.e. how the aircraft flies. And the second is the technical specific paper, in which you will study the specific aircraft that you are going to fly in, in most cases this is the petite Cessna 152A.

Aviation - All u need to be a PILOT !!

Want to be a pilot?

Ans : You Should be perfect in these fields. Educational, Medical and Mental qualification.
Educational Qualification. This is in fact the simplest requirement! All that is required for commercial flying is a 10+2 pass in maths and physics. For those of you who did not have this subject in class 12 do not lose heart. The other option is, you can appear for these subjects as private students years after you are passed out of school. Minimum age to commence training is however 18.
Medical Qualification. Remember thousands of people in other countries get a flying license just like the way we get a driving license. Well almost! The point that we want to make is that though the requirements may be stringent to the extent of a clerical job, they definitely are not hard for an average Indian to fit in. Just in case you have any doubt, we will refer you to third party doctors who will then advice you on your fitness levels.
Mental Qualification. This is by far the most difficult of all the requirements. Flying training is not cheap. But no one can pass an exam for you. You have to study hard and pass these exams your self.

Average Fees: Starts from 12 lakh - 18 lakh depends on the options you choose & the flying school.

I hope Q&A given below will help u alot.....

Q: WHAT IS AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: An airline pilot is a person who flies passenger transport airplanes in a professional capacity. The job involves efficient management of resources available to safely transport passengers and crew to their destination in a modern transport aircraft. It involves decision-making based on a series of inputs of a diverse nature. An airline pilot is required to keep his knowledge and skill current with the best practice of industry. Self-discipline is a vital ingredient to becoming a successful airline pilot.

Q: WHAT IS THE DGCA?
Ans: The DGCA (Directorate General Civil Aviation) is a statutory authority working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that overseas all issues regarding airworthiness and licensing of personnel in India. It is the authority that issues licenses to pilots and has many other important functions to oversea the safe and effective function of air transportation in India. To learn more about the DGCA, click on www.dgca.nic.in

Q: ARE THE MEDICAL STANDARDS VERY HIGH?
Ans: The medical standards of an airline pilot quite normal.

Q: I WEAR SPECTACLES, CAN I BECOME AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: This is one of the biggest misconceptions amongst people. So long as the vision is correctable with glasses, one only has to carry an extra set of glasses while flying. There are no other restrictions for people of poor eyesight for becoming pilots.

Q: WHAT IS THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATION TO BE AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: The basic educational qualification to become an airline pilot is to clear 10+2 (senior secondary school) with a pass in Physics and Math. The next step is to get a Commercial pilot’s license, which typically takes 1-2 years of training. After getting a commercial pilot’s license, a job with an airline begins as a trainee co-pilot and after a transition training of 6 to 8 months, one starts flying on line as a co-pilot.

Q: IS IT SAFE TO BECOME AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: Airline flying today is safer than traveling by car, Especially in India! It is no longer a job that requires one to be bold and courageous. Airplane manufacturers build every component of the airplane around safety. There are back ups for all systems. Flight operations take place in a carefully controlled environment with safety built into the system. Airplane operations and flight safety worldwide is overseen by a body called ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). ICAO actively monitors safety standards and operating environments to ensure standardization of procedures and practices at both the operational and the regulatory level. Non-conformity to ICAO standards can result in isolation from the rest of the aviation world.
Q: HOW IS THE LIFE OF AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: An airline pilot typically flies for 3 to 10 hours a day. Rest for a pilot is paramount to the safety of the flight, so there are laws that do not permit a pilot to fly more than a certain amount daily, weekly, monthly and annually. Rest periods are also mandatory by law and airlines are closely scrutinized to ensure compliance. The life of an airline pilot is quite easy paced with adequate free time for other interests. For International flying the working hours are marginally greater, but so are the rest periods.

Q: WHAT IS A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AIRLINE PILOT LIKE?
Ans: A pilot typically leaves for work two hours before a flight and depending on the flight pattern, may return the same day, or after a couple of days. With international flights, one may need to be gone for as long as a week, but typically getting as much time at home afterwards. The job involves a reasonable amount of travel and night stays at other cities. Upon return from the flight, the post flight duties often take not longer than 15 minutes. The rest periods before a flight are mandatory by law and are a minimum of 10 hours. The job of an airline pilot does require early hours and sometimes, international flying requires flying through the night, so a disciplined lifestyle is much desired.

Q:WHAT IS A FLIGHT LIKE FOR A PILOT?
Ans: Before a flight a pilot has certain pre flight duties. He/she arrives at the airport one hour before departure time and first has to sign a pre flight medical to certify that he/she is fit to undergo the flight. This is followed by a look at the weather and other flight information. After the pre-flight preparations, one proceeds to the airplane for flight preparation. The heavy workload periods are during departure and arrival. During the rest of the flight, the airplane is flown on autopilot and the pilots basically monitor the flight progress. Upon arrival at the destination, the typical “turn around” time is 35 minutes and then the flight departs for the next destination. A critical function of a pilot is good decision making. Decisions made have to be knowledge based and require sound judgment.

Q: DOES IT REQUIRE SPECIAL SKILL TO BE A PILOT?
Ans: It requires a basic aptitude and good interpersonal skills to be a good pilot. Basic aptitude does not mean to be good in mathematics and science, but it does require one to have reasonably basic numerical abilities (a skill that makes the IT industry in India so successful) apart from good reasoning and communication skills. A pilots job requires to work closely with his colleagues, so good inter personal skills are an asset.

Q: WHAT ARE THE JOB PROSPECTS?
Ans: The job prospects in the airline industry are very bright at this point of time. With the economy growing consistently, purchasing power is driving Indians to fly. The importance of time over money is key to making a transition from the railways to airlines as a primary mode of transport. The last financial year saw a growth rate of over 24% in domestic air travel. The growth in air traffic is complemented by aircraft orders for over 300 jet transport aircraft by various airlines slated for delivery over the next few years. The present strength of airliners in the country is a mere 150 commercial jets. The aviation industry however is susceptible to downturns such as 9/11 and SARS as we have seen in the recent past. Airline flying however is a universal skill and once you have a few thousand hours under the belt, the world is open with opportunities.

Q: WHAT IS THE SALARY OF AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: In India, the salary of an airline pilot varies with the carrier and are quite good. The Approximate Salary of Co-Pilot Ranges between 1.5 to 2.3 Lac per month and that of Captain between 3 to 5.5 Lac per month

Q: WHAT IS A FIRST OFFICER?
Ans: A first officer is also referred to as a co-pilot. When a qualified professional pilot joins an airline, he/she joins as a trainee till completion of the type rating on the airline fleet. This type rating typically takes 6-8 months. Upon completion, he/she flies the airplane under the command and supervision of the Captain, functioning as an independent crew member.

Q: WHEN DOES ONE BECOME A CAPTAIN?
Ans: After gaining adequate experience as a first officer and upgrading to an airline transport pilot license, one qualifies to become a Captain. Thereafter, a training of 6-8 months is required to obtain a PIC (pilot-in-command) rating for that particular type of aircraft. It can take anything between 18 months to five years, depending on the aircraft, the opportunity, the airline and your own efforts.

Q: HOW DO I BECOME AN AIRLINE PILOT?
Ans: To become an airline pilot, one must first understand what the job involves and whether one possesses the requisite skills. The next step would be to understand the process involved in obtaining a commercial pilot’s license, which is the minimum requirement to fly for remuneration. Explained step-wise is the process for obtaining the required professional qualification The minimum qualification for becoming an airline pilot is:· 10+2 (senior secondary school) with Physics and Math · 18 years of age on date of issue of license

STEP I The first step involves an understanding of the job profile of an airline pilot. This is to be followed by an assessment of ones skills and attitude to fit the job profile. There should be a good understanding of the investment involved and job opportunities in the aviation market. A class I medical examination from a DGCA approved medical centre such as the CME or IAM is the next step, and an absolute must before making an investment in flight training.

STEP IIA detailed understanding of licensing requirements is necessary to avoid unnecessary expenditure during the course of training. There are theory and practical examinations at various stages of obtaining a pilot license. Advance knowledge of each stage is required to optimize on time and resources. Planning of financial resources is also vital to keep in step with training requirements.

STEP III This is the stage of execution of flight training with the objective of obtaining a flying license. Typically this period can take anything between 1-2 years and involves the sound execution of the planning at step II. A flying license can presently be obtained either in India or overseas. One has to choose a flight training partner after careful consideration to many aspects. There are written examinations that one has to undergo in order to obtain an Indian pilot license. There are examinations that one has to undergo in India in order to convert a foreign license to an Indian license as well. There are limited organizations that currently conduct formal classroom training for these exams and one mostly has to be self-guided. These examinations are in the following subjects and are conducted by the DGCA four times a year. a. Air Regulation b. Meteorology c. Air Navigation d. Technical Apart from these, an examination for obtaining a radio telephony license is conducted by the ministry of telecommunications six times a year. A schedule for these exams can be obtained at the following link www.dgca.nic

STEP IV Issue of license involves bringing together of all the work one has done over the period of a year. Careful planning is required else the process of license issue can become a time consuming and costly affair.

STEP V Getting a suitable airline job is the final step in becoming an airline pilot.

Aviation - Grow with indian aviation sector

There was a time in this country not so long ago when commercial pilots were working odd jobs for a salary as less as Rs 20000. In the early nineties under the sway of Manmohanics, the skies were opened up. The Indian skies were filled with a number of airlines. However the purchasing power of the Indian had not swelled up enough to sustain these new companies. As a result only a few could survive the initial years.
However with the opening of the Indian economy, the time was ripe once again for the advent of new airlines. Some of these airlines have been aggressive in pricing like Air Deccan, where as some have been offering never before seen levels of services like Kingfisher. Few like Spice Jet have come up with innovative ideas like paperless ticketing while others cater to a regional clientèle. All this has come as a welcome break for the Indian consumer who for almost 50 years of independence had only Indian Airline to be content with. While the pace of growth of the aviation Industry has been breath taking, the airlines are facing an acute shortage of manpower both in operations and support services.

Aviation - Indian Agreement with European Union

India and the European Union (EU) signed a landmark pact on civil aviation which will work like an 'open skies' agreement encouraging more airlines to offer services between the two continents.The Horizontal Civil Aviation Agreement that will effectively legalise 26 separate deals, which India had held with individual EU member states, was signed here last night on the eve of their ninth annual India-EU Summit.The deal was inked by India's ambassador to the EU J Bhagwati and officials from the French government and the EU's bureaucracy just ahead of the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, in the French port city of Marseille.The aviation deal described as a liberal pact puts an end to nearly six years of legal uncertainty which began when the European Court in November 2002 decided that bilateral deals on civil aviation services between EU member states and third countries discriminated against airlines from other EU states.It does not in itself change the number or frequency of flights between the EU and India, but EU officials said they hope it will encourage more airlines to offer services between the continents.Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines can hope to get more access to European destinations. EU carriers can also have better access to India.In a way, the pact will work like an 'open skies' agreement between India and the EU, officials said.The agreement between two of the world's largest trading partners provides far more flexibility than the air service arrangements being pursued by India with individual EU members.