Private Flying in India
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Private Flying in India
Dear fellow Pilots,
for business reasons, in April this year my company is sending me to India for some years. I plan to take a private owned Cessna 172 with me, to fly around the country. I hold a FAA Comm/IR SEP licence. I would be more than happy if you guys could answer me the questions as follows:
- to come there with a Cessna 172, which is the cheapest airport of entry from Pakistan……Jaipur????
- how about landing, handling, routing costs etc. in the whole country, e.g. Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Bangalore etc.
- to fly VFR, is it "free" like in the U.S. or more restricted to file a flight plan all the time
- how about the availability of Avgas/ Mogas and the average price of it
- how about parking fees….e.g. long term in Coimbatore
- how long can I stay with a foreign registered airplane ( N-reg) in the country,
- is aviation bureaucracy high???
Thanks
Cheers!!!
for business reasons, in April this year my company is sending me to India for some years. I plan to take a private owned Cessna 172 with me, to fly around the country. I hold a FAA Comm/IR SEP licence. I would be more than happy if you guys could answer me the questions as follows:
- to come there with a Cessna 172, which is the cheapest airport of entry from Pakistan……Jaipur????
- how about landing, handling, routing costs etc. in the whole country, e.g. Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Bangalore etc.
- to fly VFR, is it "free" like in the U.S. or more restricted to file a flight plan all the time
- how about the availability of Avgas/ Mogas and the average price of it
- how about parking fees….e.g. long term in Coimbatore
- how long can I stay with a foreign registered airplane ( N-reg) in the country,
- is aviation bureaucracy high???
Thanks
Cheers!!!
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BlackHawk,
1. The best way would be in a container via the atlantic ocean. But if you insist on flying it in, try something in Gujarat. State.
2. We do not have small General Aviation airports in India. So at every point you'd have to use the big Domestic / International airports. Bangalore is a Private airport now and if you email / call them, they might be able to give you an estimate.
3. It is advisable you be on a flight plan. There are very few nav aids. The map's, if you find one, are not as reliable as US, and the airports to stop are simply scarce.
4. Avgas. The single biggest problem in the whole situation. Finding Avgas is very difficult at the airports you have mentioned. Indian Oil Corporation would be the place to talk to.
5. Bureaucracy in general is High. You'd need written permission from the Ministry of Civil aviation regarding the Import and use of the airplane. Their permissions will have the tenure mentioned.
Now, I'd recommend going through this entire South East Asia thread and read posts pertaining to India if you haven't already. There's lots of information.
Bottom line, if I were you, I would leave the Airplane in US. There must be some problem here that the General Aviation and Private flying of small planes with short range is virtually non existent.
Fly Safe.
1. The best way would be in a container via the atlantic ocean. But if you insist on flying it in, try something in Gujarat. State.
2. We do not have small General Aviation airports in India. So at every point you'd have to use the big Domestic / International airports. Bangalore is a Private airport now and if you email / call them, they might be able to give you an estimate.
3. It is advisable you be on a flight plan. There are very few nav aids. The map's, if you find one, are not as reliable as US, and the airports to stop are simply scarce.
4. Avgas. The single biggest problem in the whole situation. Finding Avgas is very difficult at the airports you have mentioned. Indian Oil Corporation would be the place to talk to.
5. Bureaucracy in general is High. You'd need written permission from the Ministry of Civil aviation regarding the Import and use of the airplane. Their permissions will have the tenure mentioned.
Now, I'd recommend going through this entire South East Asia thread and read posts pertaining to India if you haven't already. There's lots of information.
Bottom line, if I were you, I would leave the Airplane in US. There must be some problem here that the General Aviation and Private flying of small planes with short range is virtually non existent.
Fly Safe.
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Don't do it. Period.
Complete agreement.
The big hurdles...
1. You cannot operate the N-registered C-172 in India without getting Indian Registration, unless its a transit flight. That too with heavy paperwork.
2. AvGas is costly and hard to get
3. You will have to deal with at least 3 agencies to make a day VFR flight
Don't do it. Instead, buy a car and hire a driver, that will be least costly and easiest way to travel.
The big hurdles...
1. You cannot operate the N-registered C-172 in India without getting Indian Registration, unless its a transit flight. That too with heavy paperwork.
2. AvGas is costly and hard to get
3. You will have to deal with at least 3 agencies to make a day VFR flight
Don't do it. Instead, buy a car and hire a driver, that will be least costly and easiest way to travel.
Last edited by jimmygill; 3rd Apr 2010 at 03:10.
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CAA in News
Try them
You probably should not bring your aircraft here as it will cost you more to store and keep it in a major metro than what the aircraft costs. Better idea is to try and link up with one of the many private companies that have aircraft and rent from them
This way all the clearances etc will be their problem
Try them
You probably should not bring your aircraft here as it will cost you more to store and keep it in a major metro than what the aircraft costs. Better idea is to try and link up with one of the many private companies that have aircraft and rent from them
This way all the clearances etc will be their problem
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This way all the clearances etc will be their problem
1. High Cost: The aircraft new C172R with Garmin 1000, system will cost around 250 USD per hour wet.
2. Lack of Freedom:
A. since most aircrafts registered with chimes will be in category of
"training aircraft", you cannot take-off unless every morning
a 'qualified' Mechanic issues a release certificate.
B. Every time before the take-off you may have to get clearances
from civil as well as defence authorities, CAA may be able to help
you with these but they will not hesitate to pass on further costs
to you.
C. If you want to rent and fly yourself you may be required to have
following documents
* DGCA Validated FAA PPL, for this you must appear in written exam,
which will be conducted every two months
* You must be having the FCC flight radio telephone operator license
* It is hard to get the sectional charts for India, they are available but
are way too costly as compared to the FAA sectionals, not having
charts may increase the risks of busting military airspaces which
are scattered everywhere
Overall India is not a welcoming place for general aviation.
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Thanx Jimmy,
Hence I remain a wannabe. If only it were simpler.
However lets give this bloke who is being posted to India by his company some options (non commercial) with which he has the ability to fly over India during his visit here. There is always a first time!
Hence I remain a wannabe. If only it were simpler.
However lets give this bloke who is being posted to India by his company some options (non commercial) with which he has the ability to fly over India during his visit here. There is always a first time!
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India is a wonderful country to see from the sky. I had always dreamed of flying along the western ghats, Bombay-Goa-Trivandrum, in a Piper Cub on floats. Its difficult to achieve and will take some time.
One of the non-commercial and least costly way is to rent a C-172 and let some Indian 'act' as the pilot in command. BlackHawk can do the flying, the Indian pilot is there just to remove a lot of un-necessary paperwork, police clearances, dgca exam etc..
I know this proposition is going to be an impediment in way of 'freedom of flying' but this is the best which can be worked out, to kick start the flying even before getting most of the paperwork. And if blackhawk thinks that it will be worth getting all the paperwork done, he can do it after having tasted the Indian flying.
One of the non-commercial and least costly way is to rent a C-172 and let some Indian 'act' as the pilot in command. BlackHawk can do the flying, the Indian pilot is there just to remove a lot of un-necessary paperwork, police clearances, dgca exam etc..
I know this proposition is going to be an impediment in way of 'freedom of flying' but this is the best which can be worked out, to kick start the flying even before getting most of the paperwork. And if blackhawk thinks that it will be worth getting all the paperwork done, he can do it after having tasted the Indian flying.
