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Old 8th Mar 2008, 05:41
  #41 (permalink)  
DesiPilot
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Join Date: Jul 1999
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FlightKnight,

It is called Assisted Take off and Landing clearance in India. The DGCA last year reduced the experience to 50 hours and 20 landings after the FO is released, earlier it used to be 300 hours. The catch is that after meeting the requirement the FO has to undergo a sim session to be approved for Asst TO and Landing clearance. Sometime it can take as long as 5 months before the next sim session is due. Also the PIC is required to have 500 hour PIC on type before they can give take offs and landing to FO. So, here I am a brand new captain with a meager 150 hours on type, I cannot give take off and landings to any FO (including Sr FO's who have cleared their Asst Take off & Landings) as I am not cleared to do so. Both Capt & FO must hold the approval.

You can find out more about it at http://dgca.nic.in/aic/aic09_07.pdf

While I was flying in the USA, a capt never asked me if I was cleared for take offs and landings. The only thing they asked me was which leg I wanted to do and that started the ball rolling for next few days we were on a trip together. When I came to India it was a shock for me. Here I was an relatively experience FO, around 4000 total time but for the 400 hours in the bus I couldnt take off or land because I didn't have the darn approval (thanks to DGCA for the ruling).
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