The simple reason for the petition is not
flight safety, but
jobs. Make it difficult for the expats - they will leave - more jobs for the locals - hurrah
. The fact is that the amount of proof of... that you have to submit before coming here as a foreigner is staggering (because all foreign documents are considered falsified) So now DGCA shall check the same (probably falsified) papers once more. Top that with a local Class 1 + a JAA/FAA Class 1 because JAA/FAA still want their guys to take a medical with a JAA/FAA approved aviation physician or the "mother" license (and hence the FATA) will run out! Great plan.....and of course, coming from the Union, it goes into the "Politics and Lip Service" file; no different from TROTW.
But please, do not for one nanosec claim or even think this has
anything to do with Flight Safety. Flight Safety starts with good CRM (none-existing here as defined by TROTW), good Airmanship Training (look that up), solid aviation knowledge (you don`t get that at Joe`s pilot factory in MIA) before type rating onto a pax jet, plus an extensive (min 6 mth) OPS course before getting into the right seat. Ad to that a functional ATC environment with pilot discipline and safe airports (BOM is the most risky airport of more than 200 major airports that I have experienced). Ask any of the nightslipping foreign carrier`s pilots about their background (or elect to stay in denial).
I write this because I am
concerned, not because I want to point any fingers - except at DGCA who allow Indian planes to be manned with pilots not up to Industry Standards, locals or expats. We cannot have F/Os who come within seconds of a mid-air plane breakup because they cannot find the yoke in front of them, or F/Os who cannot bear upon themselves to give the off-par Captain proper warning or take over control .
The problem has to do with the Great Gold Rush. From stockholders to wannabe pilots everyone see an oportunity to make it quick and easy, and yes....nobody`s taking time to do more than minimum required. I know of 1 (one) Indian colleague who has used his waiting time for a job on aviation related studies; how many of you hi-squakers have done more than minimum...honestly??
Of course the experience requirement should be same for all, and of course a medical from some 3rd world Bolongaqland should be scrutinised, but look inside instead of being so defensive. Indian aviation has more accidents in the making, and the new proposals will not improve the situation a bit.
And now for a Monson question: If your radar picks up a cell at 30NM while in 0.5dg down tilt, what is the altitude of the cell, when you fly at FL290?? (So far, none of my co-pilots knows . Do you?......Yes.
it is relevant.)