Flying Training In India

[jboyelias]

Can any guys give me info on training in india? There are numerous flying clubs but dont know which ones are good.Please help me with feed back

[cfimei]

Jboyelias, here's a link for you:
http://www.bestaviation.net/search_flight_school_asia.asp

that's about all the internet could source, not much choice. no disrespect to the Indian civil aviation community but why limit yourself to that license authority? why not do the JAA/FAA license instead, probably easier to convert and more readily accepted.

[Need4Speed23]

Hi,

I am Indian, and every Indian pilot (25 or so) that I know has always trained in the US, Australia, Canada or the UK.

The reason briefly, is a lot of beurocracy at the schools. Safety standards seem to be a tad scary, and most schools have very limited fascilities, including aircraft and instructors.
It is about a 30-40% cheaper compared to the US, but may take you forever to get done.

Just some food for thought.

Cheers

[LD Max]

If you don't mind Malaysia, I can recommend an excellent training academy.

I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone in the SE Asia region.

They train to the UK (CAA) syllabus as Malaysia airspace is regulated by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), which is supported by the UK CAA Overseas. They are responsible for training many of the SE Asia regional airlines, as well as independant modular or integrated students all the way from PPL to ATPL.

I did about 30 hours with them, (including my first Solo), and then later to brush up on ME Instrument. (I actually live in the UK, but every 2 years or so visit family in Malaysia)

Good mix of Instructors from the likes of Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, most of them ex-military fast jet pilots, and also several from the UK and New Zealand.

Malaysian Flying Academy Sdb. Bhd.
Lot 3224, Mukim Batu Berendam,
75350 MELAKA,
MALAYSIA

Tel: 06-3174026, 3174834

E-Mail [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.edu.my

Contact: Group Captain M. Khashav (Principle)

Hope that helps.

[Send Clowns]

LD Max

I have a colleague who used to work for the MFA. He would certainly not recommend flying there, it sounds as scary as anywhere by safety standards (students about to leave, authorized, with no proper fuel plan and destination and all alternates below wx minima, in one case he quoted!).

If anyone's going to go to Malaysia, try the new school at Langkawi (sp?). Don't know the name, but a former colleague is in the management team, tried to persuade me out there, and I'd generally trust him not to get me onto a duff project. He moved out of MFA. Can get you in touch with him if you need.

[LD Max]

I'm surprised to hear that report Send Clowns. Personally I found their standards as good as any I've met in the UK, and throughout my training, a huge emphasis was put on Safety.

I can quote in particular my Instructor "BP" Singh at MFA who always laboured the safety checks and pre-flight planning procedures. He caught my eye and said, "These checks may seem tedious and unnecessary. By and large you're probably right. You could just jump into the plane and go. But the one time you decide to skip the fuel check or forget to check the DI during turns, will be the time you find rainwater in the fuel tank because the engine stops, or you find yourself in IMC heading towards that hill (batu berandam) out there. THEN you will say 'I should have listened to BP', and you will wish you had done as you were taught!"

Last time I was there was about 18 months ago. The instructors I met were all very professional. In addition, I was impressed by the fact that they have their own maintainance, and I can certainly vouch for the fact that Technical Logbook and Squawking procedures are followed very thoroughly. Every flight has to be signed out in the tech log kept in the hanger. Ground crew have to be on the flightline with a fire extinguisher by their side for engine start, and full marshalling procedures are followed. In fact their attention to detail is much more impressive than I have found in the US, and even at some reputable ftos in the UK.

I am told that much of it is taught as a "Discipline", to get the students into the "Commercial" way of thinking even through their PPL stage. For that reason, Uniforms are worn throughout and the staff are always referred to as "Sir". Whether you are for or against discipline in Flight Traiing Schools, is a matter of personal choice, but I actually found it reassuring to know tha high standards were being demanded and maintained both technically and culturally.

My final thoughts are that before choosing any school, it is worth your while visiting them in person. I think jboelias would find the environment very much suited to his cultural background. Since the other students there are mostly from the region, he would have much in common with them - especially with regard to the comforts of home - such as food and social activities.

I cannot speak for Langkawi (your spelling is correct!), but if there is a new school there, you should contact the DCA in malaysia for details and make enquiries. Their website is:

http://www.dca.gov.my/

Good luck!

[tallboyslim]

hello jboyelias

well if your thinking to get trained in india then these 3 schools are the best:

a) Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi in Rae Bareli.
THis is one of the oldest school in india and run by civila aviation ministry so i suppose good facilities. It also has scholarships for students.

b) A.P Flying Academy in Hyderabad. Have heard a lot of them...The instructors i hear are the best in india. i may be wrong.

c) Bombay flying Club.

d) Madras Flying Club.

If your looking for private schools then there is
a)Ahmedabad Aviation Academy Ahmedabad

b)Orient Flight School, Pondicherry. Runned by a engineering college in chennai specilizing in aeronautical engineering. I heard they have well maintained aircrafts and good staff. you might wanna check this school out. Pondicherry good place to stay too, cheap beers :)

c)Flytech Aviation Ltd., Hyderabad

I will suggest to check this link for more schools http://dgca.nic.in/licencing/fly-ind.htm . i think u must have already.

well there are about 30 odd schools info on tht link. i hope it will help you out. sorry i cldnt give you the individual links for the schools ht i mentioned above.

Hope this was helpful...btw wer about in india.

cheers
arnold

hello again

Air Sahara runs its own academy. The Sahara India Aviation Academy, in Mahipalpur near Palam Airport, New Delhi.

They dont have a website but thier adress is :

Sahara India Aviation Academy,
249/250 Block A, Road No.6,
National Highway No.8, Mahipalpur,
(Near I.G. International Airport)
New Delhi-110 037.
Tel.: 26782574 Tele Fax : 26782573

so i suggest you call them up and get the details. Since its run by an airline i belive this is a good place to get trained.

You might wanna check this link out: http://www.airsahara.net/airsahara/Aviation.jsp

they have details about the acdemy. This is first time i am hearing about this academy so if you find anything useful please do let me know.

cya around
arnold

[Lanun]

Hey LD Max, maybe those days when you were in MFA you never noticed much of what's going on and what's screwing up.

MFA has one of the best instructors in the world. They are very professional and they have the knowledge. It is not the instructors fault causing it's standards to drop but it is because the evil warlod or dictator is thrifty with everything regarding expenditures for MFA :hmm:

Did you know that the engineers and ground crew were on strike a couple of months back? Did you even know that a number of instructors have left?

If you really were in MFA 18 months ago, I think I would have known you too :)

Warmest regards...

[LD Max]

Possibly we met... But see my first post in this thread. I didn't do anything like all my training there - just about 30 hours. My wife is Malaysian but we both live in the UK. We visit Malaysia for about 6 weeks every couple of years to see in-laws, so the two occasions when I went to MFA were to keep my training going while I was away from the UK.

Last time I was there doing some IR training, the nose gear collapsed on one of the Senecas during a touch and go. Ring any bells? (Piper defect - not student's fault). If you saw me, you might have noticed I was the only one wearing a HI VIS green jacket. BP would take the pi** saying I looked like a traffic cop! But that was a discipline I was taught over here to wear hi vis when airside, so I carried on doing it anyway, to the amusement of a few MFA regulars!

Most of my training was done in the UK and the US and in fact I am now a qualified Flight Instructor myself.

So I guess I saw only the best side of MFA. The "Evil Dictator" you refer to was perfectly civil to me - but of course as a "customer", he would be. I have no idea how he treats his staff.

But I have the highest respect for Instructors and owe special thanks to "BP" who I think still takes first prize out of all the instructors I have ever had since, (and I include the UK or US).

(I'm not denouncing any of my other instructors by the way) ;-)

I didn't know about the engineer's strike. Sorry to hear that all is not well, but you know - we have had similar problems elsewhere in the UK. In many ways, one of the great features of MFA is that they actually HAVE engineers! Plenty of schools out there who don't - let alone any who actually know any Marshalling signals, and stand by with a fire extinguisher during engine start! Outstanding... really, I mean it! Good bunch of guys too.

By the way, another real asset, is Ms. Irene, the Director's PA. A real "sweetheart" if I ever met one, and she was extremely helpful every time I went there.

Regards

[Haavard]

What are the prices for ppl to FATPL in Malaysia and India compared to UK/US... I saw one mention 50% lower...??

I sure go to thoose far parts of the world to save 50%..

[rahul_mica]

Hi jboyelias

am going to start my course (PPL) at Ahmedabad Aviation Academy in November.

was there a couple of weeks back to check the place out before i signed up.

They have following aircraft:-

Cessna 152 - 2nos
Cessna 172 - 2 nos
Zenith CH 2000 - 1 nos.

All four cessnas do round the clock flying while the zenith is grounded for the time being.

ahemdabad airport is not a busy airport with around 15 - 20 flights during the day and mostly centred around morning or evening. Since Ahmedabad is now an international airport, the facilities are fast getting upgraded. air india sends a 744 thrice a week.

The ppl at AAA are good and quite helpful. Although they might just face a shortage of instructors as some of them have been picked up by airlines recently.

send me a PM if you need more details.

regards
Rahul

[cal_ley]

Hi,

Currently i still in MFA doing my FATPL.all of the ground instructor is from India and some of the flight instructor from India too.
as for langkawi,ex MFA instructor CFI.Capt Radzi is the principal there now if i not mistaken.

PPL is around rm30k
0-FATPL around rm150k

1USD=RM3.85

Regards,

[LD Max]

I would add that MFA have just been featured in this week's edition of Flight International. From a commercial (job) point of view, they seem to be well placed to feed into the regional airlines.

[cal_ley]

Qantas is sending cadet to MFA this week.
around 150 student in the academy currently...only 12 single and 2 twin.dont know what to say.....