Roster for one Indian airline; short haul operation:-
Day one: 03.30 local transport – 4 sector day – back to accommodation 13.30
Day two: 04.00 local transport - 4 sector day – back to accommodation 14.30
Day three: 11.00 local transport – 3 sector day – back to accommodation 19.00
Day four: 14.00 local transport – 2 sector day – back to accommodation 22.30
Day five: 15.00 local transport – 4 sector day – back to accommodation midnight 15.
Day six: Having got to bed by 01.00 if not delayed – OFF. (Not in most parts of the world)
Day seven: OFF – but you get up at 3am the next day. (Not OFF in most parts of the world)
Repeat very similar roster, times 4, for 28 hours per week; 120 in a month; 1,200hrs/year flight hours. No ‘local night’ rest rules (24hours free of duty = day off). Head of Flight Deck rosters knows nothing at all about aviation – a HR business manager, on a bonus to squeeze the pilots?
Transport 2 hours before departure but, ‘on duty’ 45mins before. Back to accommodation an hour and a half after landing, but ‘off duty on chocks’. All hours will be ’fiddled’ by company if required.
For some, every flight a training flight with a 250 hour FO (or as the 250hr FO) in the monsoon season, and fatigue is a given. A TRE/TRI was overheard saying he had to take control on one out of three landings below 100 ft in the previous month. Not on base training but line training flights, with passengers. Pilots with 200/300hrs, maybe having done initial training in Florida/Philippines and a type rating from a European training centre with no standards, give cause for concern.
From what I have seen over the last few years: Yes, some of the contract pilots operating in India have dubious backgrounds and more than a few should not be on a flight deck in the left seat, or the right for that matter. Others are excellent and so, just like the Indian captains, you have the full range. As far as first officers go, the very best low hour FO I have flown with was Indian, a bit older than some, who had paid for professional training at a good school. However, many are barely adequate and a few have no handling skill whatsoever. Very poorly trained and no ability means they do not even realize just how bad they are. With less than 2,000 hours, and probably less than 100 jet landings, they may start a command course. (1,500 hours an FO may apply for command.) ‘Monkey see monkey do.
’ (The saying refers to the learning of a process without an understanding of why it works: Mimicry, usually with limited knowledge of the consequences) and rote learning may see even the least able FO pass for command, particularly if ‘connected’? These new captains will have had some time watching experienced captains do the job well: The next generation 250 hour FO is going to be watching them! A total experience of 3,700+hrs on an Indian flight deck will soon be an exception at some airlines! The fault lies with the regulators, those inadequate self serving individuals who seem to man every authority; and until that is sorted out flying as a passenger will become ever more of a gamble: India first, but most certainly not just in India.