Indian govt moves to protect Indian student pilots

[divinesoul]

Hi

Just came across this article.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Foreign_pilots_harder_to_hire_now/articleshow/2695513.cms

Shouldnt this change be a gradual and natural change.

Most of the Indian guys training abroad cant see beyond an airline job.

But then again GA scene in India is not as big as the western countries.

Your comments please.

[Nevrekar]

I don't think the article addresses the core issue in that how can the Govt protect 5,000 odd student pilots for jobs that don't exist or are not qualified for? No one doubts the fact that expats will be phased out eventually, but only as the Indian pilots gain their experience, hours, and command. Until then, protecting the jobs of these lads/ladies does not seem particularly relevant. Now if the Govt wants to pay their salaries while they wait, that's a different story. If there is a surplus of low time F/O's, there will be a wait time for employment for many new graduates from flying schools. I think most expats are realistic in their expections of being here. I think submitting a plan of training etc seems to be more of a polictical move.

[Rotorhead1026]

Quoted from article ...

DGCA chief Kanu Gohain said: "Before they hire an expat pilot, airlines will need to tell us their induction and training programmes for Indians. Unless this is specified, they won’t be allowed to just meet their requirement by hiring foreigners alone. Airlines have to get back shortly with their replies. And if they don't, we have ways to make them comply."

...

With an attitude like that, he'll have NO PROBLEM phasing out expats! Geez!

[Nevrekar]

Ah-Yes-The beatings will continue until the morale improves !

[flightknight]

Phasing out expat pilots has been going on for sometime. The south american and east europe pilots were used until dgca:ooh: found out that they did not have english speaking abilities. US pilots over 60 were legal until DGCA found out that they were not valid to fly in India. Well since the age 65 rule has been approved in the US, i guess they had to come up with something new. There were also rumors about expats having to do the dreaded indian medical which is not in the best interest of a foreign pilot, since it could cause numerous problems for future employment, anywhere. I hope that this is a wakeup call for some of you'll who have made some drastic changes with great hope for the future.

[HAWK21M]

I think what DGCA is trying here is to ensure the Airlines have a plan in place to get Indian pilots in the long run & not rely only on Expats.
Considering the Expansion in Aviation out here.It makes sense.

regds
MEL

[brabazon2]

Well the head of your DGCA sounds like a real brain surgeon.
The reason you need expat pilots and will always need them is twofold.
Firstly it's a numbers game; you won't be able to train enough pilots to crew the number of aircraft on order; certainly not to sit in the LHS. If you do upgrade inexperienced FOs you will have aircraft crashes. That brings us to the second reason (same as Korean) which is experience and safety.
You need us; you can't get around it but we will make you pay through the nose for it. We will push the pay rates up (simple supply and demand), and force you to base us off-shore. Thanks chaps!

[vinayak]

the newpapers are starting to print articles such as why are the expats being hired when there are indian commercial pilots. they really don't explain there's a BIG difference between the indian pilots available and expats>> years and years of more experience!


its just a political move, very sure backed by the present ruling party. their popularity seems to decreasing as they have "made significant efforts" but not enough.

Aviation development is something the present party is proud of... as there are so many jobs being created because of this.

There is nothing else really that the government is proud of besides the aviation growth story. And they don't want the media to be highlighting the surplus of pilots that is existing.



bottom line is, expats are here to stay!! (unless we hear dgca lets 250hours pilots become captains :bored:

[av8r76]

A whole lot of posturing by the DGCA (what's new).

This requirement has been around for a long long time. But asking airlines to put a time frame on expats' tenures is flirting with danger. You can't rush the development of student pilots/first officers by mandating strict limits for expat contracts. This has to be done at a reasonable pace with no external pressures.

You can kick and scream all you want but expats are here to stay.

Airlines have to get back shortly with their replies. And if they don't, we have ways to make them comply.

Sheds some light on their mentality.:eek:

[Left Wing]

things at DGCA will never change....

India is the only 3rd world with excellent safety std's and by forcing airlines to push back the highly qualified expat capt's, TRI/TRE's we indians are creating an unsafe enviorment.

Agreed airlines like Jet and Kingfisher has no intentions to run an expensive cadet pilot program untill forced by the DGCA to do so....to make statements like...Quote:
Airlines have to get back shortly with their replies. And if they don't, we have ways to make them comply.

Its just low of the DGCA.....:=:=:mad:

[Rotorhead1026]

Well, the "timetable" is a political ploy and will undoubtably have to revised ... and revised ... and revised ... almost forever as things stand. If the newspapers and politicians ask why there are so many expats, the DGCA can point to this phasing out schedule and reduce the pressure. The smart move would be to lessen restrictions on general aviation (almost nonexistent here) and create a groundswell of training and experience. CFI's could teach for a couple of years, then advance to the right seat of a turboprop, then up the line. We'd have 1500 hour f/o's in Boeings who actually know how to fly and how to work as a crewmember. Don't hold your breath waiting for this to happen.

Contract competition from China is really heating up and I think India is going to have to work (i. e., pay more money) to keep many expats from disappearing. Our xenophobic DGCA chief may get his wish ... sooner than he expects and sooner than the airlines can afford. No, I don't think safety will be compromised - and give India credit for a good record - but growth will be constrained with attendant job stagnation.

[masalama]

Hello all.
I do agree that the expat "experienced" pilot(TRE/TRI/Captain) is here to stay and his/her experience ,skills, training necessary to sustain the growth in Indian aviation.
But what has irked many including myself in Indian aviation is a group of airlines(private) hiring expat co-pilots....initially the point being made was we need trained,type rated and experienced co-pilots now , otherwise our aircraft will be parked.But hiring fresh foreign CPL holders and sending them to get typed and train them on-line while Indian nationals(CPL holders) are available is criminal .DGCA has taken notice of this and therefore the new directive.I cannot really understand why airlines tried this stunt , it does not make any (economic, political, flight safety,regulatory etc.etc.) sense....

masalama.

[Nevrekar]

I do agree with the previous post. If you have any qualified Indian applicant for any position within the airline, then they should be offered due consideration. Hiring a low time expat F/O while there are equal number of Indian available makes no sense at all. Now if they require high time expat F/Os' with time in type (because of insurance requirements etc) then it makes sense. Sometimes this is a situation that arises when a new aircraft shows up on the property and the new Capts have no time in type.

[flightknight]

I guess this thread will becoming more interesting for the NRI folks who work in the US and elsewhere ;)

[vinayak]

masalama,
i did not know there are expat f/o being hired without type rating! then it makes sense for DGCA to do this! damn it! i never thought i'd agree with anything that DGCA does!:p

[av8r76]

They were, but for a very brief while. Situation has changed very fast expat f'o's not required anymore.

Doesn't affect NRI's etc. Anyone with PIO/OCI has the right to employment as any Indian citizen (although couple of the private carriers think otherwise).

[alouette3]

Hello all:
This is my first time posting here. I monitor this forum very closely as I am of Indian origin and have lots of friends in the airlines in India.I really don't have a dog in this fight but I would like to add a little historical prespective. Some of you "older" young pilots in India might remember this.
Back in the 70's when Mrs. Gandhi was PM, there was an association created under the auspices of her younger son ,Sanjay ,who was an avid GA pilot and, later, lost his life in a crash. The association was created to protect the interests of the thousands of unemployed pilots who had trained in the civilian environment. They felt (rightly so) that the system was unfair to them .The only two airlines(AI and IA back then) would readily hire an ex airforce guy but not give the civilians much consideration. In the associtaion's opinion, guys(ex. IAF) who had trained for free , served a twenty year period and acquired a pension,took only the regs. exam and then, walked into a job with the big two,whereas they, who had spent a ton of money(unbelievably, about Rs 40,000/- then for a CPL) were ignored unless they had influence.Ahh!! Influence!The bane of the East!!
Long story short, Mrs. G levelled the playing field and all ex serviceman had to take all the tests just like other "normal" pilots,take the flying tests and join the line. Did not change anything but certainly made it tougher for the ex. mil. guys to compete.Who won ? I still haven't figured that out.
I guess,with a few variations, the avaition world in India has come a full circle. Once again, the Govt. is stepping in to "protect" the underdogs(due apologies).Will they implement it?absolutely.Will it be successful? :hmm:.
Thanks for listening/reading.
Alt3.

[av8r76]

a3. As I said all smoke and mirrors. They have to appease the local populace. But practically not possible to do at this time. But step back and think why we have this scenario right now. If Indian CPL holders were not too picky about starting off on the ATR's, CRJ's etc. expat F/O's would never have been a reality in India. Correct me if I am wrong but the initial F/O's were only for the smaller size a/c and then it slowly opened the door for all a/c. So maybe a little introspection from the pilots themselves will lead us to the real cause for the scenario.

Even now there is this amazing sense of entitlement amongst fresh guys that they HAVE to get on the Boeing or Airbus. I'm tired of telling everyone I come across that grab whetever they give you cos pretty soon it's gonna be slim pickings for everybody.

[getsetgo]

why not
governemt of india has to do and take the step,
like in EU +uk+++++
you need right to work ......at least india is giving you the chance to work ....... and also giving too much at the moment......:)

[masalama]

Fully agree that newjoiners need to appreciate the fact that getting on a turboprop with 200 hours is a dream come true in many countries of the world ...but I need to clarify something here regarding the hiring of non-typed foreign copilots...two programmes offered by our airlines come to mind...

1.Indigo and simcenter: type of aircraft A320.

2.Jet airways and JAA licensed pilots:B737.

Both these programmes seem to be in the doldrums right now but the point being they were not recruiting for the ATR/CRJ type of aircraft....it's good that some sense has prevailed as the supply of fresh CPL holders has ballooned...effectively we were offering a cadet programme(fully paid by candidate) to foreign nationals which is unheard of anywhere else....

[flightknight]

I would like to advise caution on the part of nationalism statements. Considering the fact that a lot of professional folks from India are employed in various sectors in other countries. The NRI folks are an integral contributing force in the US, Australia, Europe, Canada etc.
If you have not done your pilot licenses in the US or elsewhere, i guess you may miss the gist of my post.

[getsetgo]

its only in india where pilots fly on FATA

no indian is flying on FATA in any country.

for a job any body needs

1. right to work
2. licence to apply
3. get salary down the line

but in india
1...............
2. ............
3 job on line....salary well above line.:confused:

is it safe in this situation?:ugh:

dgca/govt of india is always in trying to make aviation a stable sector espacially after experiencing shut down of many operators in 1992 and leaving industry and the pilots on the road as many airlines folded over night eating away public money.

DGCA is trying to stream line for aviation, same standreds of training and licencing as far as indian regitered a/c flying goes.
and so trying to ensure with the airlines to have there own training set ups, to ensure long term stability.

[vinayak]

err... what is FATA?

[Nevrekar]

FATA is---Foreign Air Crew Temporary Authorization. It is initially given for 2 years and can be extended at the discretion of the DGCA.

The expat aircrew issue has been blown out of proportion. It is simply supply and demand. Once the Indian crews are trained we will be out of here. There is no conspiracy for a hostile takeover of the industry! It is great that the Govt. wants to protect jobs for locals. Every government on the planet should be doing that.

But for right now if the 800 odd expats left, the only positive outcome would be--no congestion in Delhi, Bangalore & Mumbai. The negatives would far outweigh the positives in terms of growth, stability and employment. There would be plenty of shiny parked airplanes.



P.S. FATA for Indian pilots overseas----Right now there is not a need, but I guarantee if there is a shortage of pilots in the USA/EU, they will recruit Indian pilots as well. If you in a "high demand" profession, overseas countries are still actively recruiting and providing visas for doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists etc. That in essence is the equivalent of a FATA for those professions. Aviation has not made the list yet, but might likely do so in the next ten years. Many Americans have lost jobs to India because of call centre's etc being opened in India. They were not happy about it but it made economic sense for corporate america to do so. There is a recession in the USA which everyone keeps denying. Times are going to get tough globally.
Lets all hold hands and sing Kumbaya!!

[av8r76]

The 9W non type rated expats came with 734 and older TR's and were converted to 738's. I met a guy on my layover from SAS who was flying India only in the winters when the aviation scene slowed down back home. He had been on the right seat for almost 8 yrs. So they had experience b4 getting on board. And indeed there was a time albeit a VERY short time that there was a near non existent pool of Indian CPL guys available which forced the airlines to fill the gap temporarily.

As for the Indigo SO drive, I believe it is also open to Indian CPL/ATP guys with even less requirements compared to expats.

For all practical purposes, the DGCA is actually asking airlines to slash costs. With expats costing more than the locals, don't you think the airlines, already operating on wafer thin margins, would do this without any external cajoling?

As stated time and time again, it is a purely supply/demand situation which the airlines have little control over. You can't control either of these even if you are the DGCA. Market forces dictate the need for expats and if the DGCA moves aggressively to curb this then we will, as stated eloquently by Nevrekar, have no congestion in DEL,BOM or BLR.

[nada1234]

Hello!!!! "you need us". its the other way round. you have been siting without jobs and are coming to india and in most cases it is the riff-raff who is coming here. Except for the Airbus/Boeing TREs rest are of questionable quality and certainly not better than the pilots available in india. my guess is - take the hint mate and head home as soon as possible. happy landings in whatever country you belong to. if you are so keen on working here, how about having a quid pro quo - asking your airlines to open jobs for pilots from india considering the pilots here are so much better than you guys.

[masalama]

whoa nada1234 a little extreme there ...
I think nevrekar brings up a good point regarding high demand profession which is the case with pilots in India right now.Pilots are not in demand in the US /Europe currently but Indians are being hired in other high demand professions.
av8r says...."there was a near non existent pool of Indian CPL guys available which forced the airlines to fill the gap temporarily".
If it was a temporary plug the hole measure, fair enuff , but it did definitely catch many a local pilot's attention... thanks for the clarification...

masalama.

[bear11]

Very funny, getsetgo and nada - talking through your hat with your friends at home might sound impressive enough for them to believe you, but this is an international forum. I know Indian pilots who have flown on the equivalent of FATAs outside India - validations issued by local CAAs for contractors are quite common, I presume you know what ICAO is? Foreign contractors get Indian security clearance and Indian work visas.

If the contractors are not up to scratch, blame the cheapness of most Indian airlines who refuse to pay the money to do a sim check on candidates and then expect them to be a 1-man cockpit, unlike many other airlines around the world who use contractors.

You speak of common standards and training, again I ask have you never heard of ICAO? Salary well "above line" is fantasy, especially with current US dollar rates, and if you think Indian pilots salaries would be what they have risen to now without the salaries that have to be paid to attract the contractors, you live on a different planet.

No-one is denying that there are, as Nevrekar says, over 800 expat pilots in India, earning salaries that are comparable to contracts elsewhere. And I agree that expat F/Os are madness with the amount of Indian wannabes coming through flying schools currently. But please spare us the fantasy that there are hundreds of experienced, current unemployed expat pilots sitting on their asses all around the world just waiting for an opportunity to come to India to drink your beer and take your jobs at salaries 10 times what they earn at home, and that Indians are not given any opportunity to emigrate and work at competitive wages around the rest of the world - where do you think the phrase NRI comes from? There is shortage of experienced Captains worldwide at the minute (Europe also), but there is no shortage of wannabe low timers, as some of your friends with stars in their eyes who are getting the money together to go abroad and train and think they can fall into the right hand seat of an A320 or B737 will shortly find out.

One of these days (not as far away as you think), there will be Indian pilots going for expat jobs again, and you'd better hope they are more informed than you are. The best thing that the DGCA could do at the minute is try to ensure that the wannabe Indian pilots coming back from training looking for work are actually trained properly - many of them are simply useless to the Indian airlines as they stand.

[getsetgo]

DGCA recognised retraining CPL pilots when they return for jobs in india giving due consideration the quality of training or there induction to jobs,hence DGCA sends message to all airlines to set up training programme.
i think india is very welcoming country...any body can offer you emple of every thing you need, not only beer.
i undersatnd you are doing your medicals in india so you know a lot about ICAO.
Lets have more info on it.

and if some company didnot pay for your sim etc. means you can go to court being in the best democracy on the globe.
thats what i do.
good luck

[getsetgo]

they do not renew there licences in india
but given FATA by dgca
no other ICAO CONTRACTING STATE ISSUES FATA
if any let us know.
over 800 expat pilots in India, earning salaries that are comparable to contracts elsewhere. And I agree .

it is easy bcz there is no medical check in india.

otherwise where is the need to work in india when jobs are all over and paying good money in euro as well.

[Canuck15]

just to enlighten you

The crews working on FATA in India are reposible for keeping their respective licences current . There are plent of doctors in India certified by FAA to carry out medicals . Dgca requires for you to have at least 3 months of medical validity before issuing anything. So be nice and appreciate the fact that we're allowed to work here without a major fuss.

happy landings

[Nevrekar]

Nada--Not sure where you work and who you fly with but Spicejet has been hiring guys, most of whom have spent 20 plus year at major airlines in the US, UK and other parts of the world. I don't think you would consider that rif-raff. It is true that the age 60 guys could not fly with a part 121 airline in the US until now, but corporate flying is open to anyone as long as they can pass their FAA medical. We have B747/737/777/727/757 guys from United, Qantas, Korean Air, Alaska, Continental, AirTran, Garuda etc etc.

[getsetgo]

basically there is the diffrence ,not the money or planes ,nor dollors or euro salary.
its the ease of doing flying based on FAA standreds,
instead DGCA standrerds.

{this is where probably DGCA looking to streamline licencing part by asking airlines to have training setup and plans. one licence one state.}

otherwise its very difficult to see why pilots get attrected to india when there are so many jobs for them arround the world and paying best salaries.

considering hight cost of operations all the airlines in big time losses,
and all the airlines have big order book for dilivery of planes. :confused:

demand and supply.......

there is big demand for a/c espacially the shiny aeroplanes arround the world, and this is making profit by way of resale/ or leaseing out the a/c to international mkt.flying a/c is making losses in india due to fuel cost and infrastucture. leasing out is making bussiness sence.
And this will decongest not only air , roads and less polution in cities.

[uhtsky]

Mr.Getsetgo
I have just finished my contract with ICAO contracting state on the FATA.
There are a lot of expats who work on the FATA in my country.
No medical check as well, base on home country license & medical.
The expats can't work in India forever, it depends on you.
The question is - are you ready?

[getsetgo]

FATA is followed by india since the inception of civil aviation.
as the topic of this thread and the steps taken by DGCA india are the bases of this discussion.
as it looks, long term vision of DGCA is bringing in more uniform and stable aviation envionment.

[uhtsky]

"they do not renew there licences in india
but given FATA by dgca
no other ICAO CONTRACTING STATE ISSUES FATA
if any let us know."
Just remind you that I answer to your question.

"it is easy bcz there is no medical check in india."
Does it mean you question why other countries require medical check for expats?
Because they give us there own LICENSE not FATA and I don't think your DGCA want to do that.

[getsetgo]

first of all if you are happy flying on fata , that i can say happy flying.
i didnot ask you any question, if you are happy where you are its your good luck.
i wish you good luck .

[Nevrekar]

I get the sense that some of you are angry at the presence of expats flying here in India. Your anger is misguided. The economic growth in India essentially caught the Government and industry off guard. They did not act on the tremendous "need" for pilots early on, offered very little incentive for folks to enter the field or have programs in place to facilitate the process.
The end result is that there are too few qualified pilots to fill Commander positions. I am sure that every airline is very eager to upgrade an Indian national to Commander when they have the hours and are "ready" to undertake the mission at hand. It is in their best interest to do so. Local lads are here to stay (mostly) while expats are products of a revolving door.
But improved terms and conditions overseas will see some Indian's leaving as well to go to Oman, Qatar, Emirates, Ethihad etc.

Infrastructure mismanagement is a big issue in India. For many years due to a stagnant economy, foreign exchange regulations, India chose not to spend money on infrastructure. Roads and highways that should have been built a decade ago are now being considered. Additionally it does not help when the Govt mode of operation is 1. Ready 2. Fire 3. Aim ! All these take an eventual toll. Look at some of the new airports being considered. They are still being built initially as single runway airports--how does that help capacity?

Salaries--At one point I'm told India had one of the worst pay structures for airline pilots (when compared to the West). By Indian standards it was probably ok still. But thanks in part to the expats on the scene pilots here they are able to receive comparable compensation. A 250 hour Indian F/O can make close to 200,000 rupees a month. That's more than what someone would make at Fedex or UPS their first year there. And these would be guys with minimum 6,000 hrs and 3 landings on the moon! Expats would not come here if they were offered less than what the overseas standard is. Do you blame them? Speaking of which the media hype and late call to arms has caused droves of Indians to get their CPL etc. Now they will return with a fresh CPL with nowhere to go, especially once the growth slows down.

The market is growing leaps and bounds but the bubble has to burst soon. The SENSEX has shown signs of that. Airlines are not immune and cannot keep losing millions expecting to keep growing at the same pace. Someone will have to put the brakes on. When that happens and time passes, you will see the number of expats dwindle to a trickle. I predict that the need for expats will be minimal by 2013 and unfortunately for many young Indian's, unemployment as pilots.

In closing if you are angry, look elsewhere-- and don't shoot the messenger!

[getsetgo]

considering growth in india, and the govt focus on aviation and infrastructure and the dilivery of a/cs in next 3 years all CPL newcomers will get jobs. and also upgrades as and when they qualify for DGCA norms.
this momentum in aviation will take the aviation through 2020 easily unless companies missmanage funds and continue losing money( yes most likely)
and sell off there aeroplanes to make money.
FATA goes no where and it does not threat any body job opportunity.

Your DGCA is looking at 2020 and enforcing these new ideas on the new airlines from time to time.

[getsetgo]

Fata is clearance obtained by the operator from DGCA on PLEA{ please/kindly} saying that due to the shortage of crew kindly allow MR. .........work with us till we find own crew meeting the requirement.
this is done by the airlines to save on
ground training at least 2-3 months salary,
No C.R.M. training, no bidding for renewal of the crew licence by the company .
No other must routine courses ........
it saves lot of money for the operator
and same time operator is utalising the crew from day-1
generaly FATA is 6 months valid...can be extended to max of 2 years
(new guidelines by DGCA considering the crew is not going cirtain routine courses )

[kshitij]

as per ur mail i wana knw that can a person (whether indian or a foreigner) fly on fata only- even after 2yrs initial permission by DGCA? IF IT CAN B EXTENDED THEN 4 HOW LONG? WILL HE HAVE 2 COMPULSORY GO THRU THE DGCA-LICENCING PROCEDURE?-(MEDICAL & EXAMS)

[apachelongbow]

I really doubt the statement made 'by 2013 Indian fresh cpl holders may be unemployed' That will never happen, any fresh/experienced CPL, if he/she is good enough, will land a job, its those who are in this for the money, will be left jobless.

This is taking place even now, when we see 1000 pilots running for a walkin of 10-20 positions, and this case is not unique to aviation alone, for example if we see the IT field its even worse, the employability ratio in IT is a measly 1-2 %. For every 1 million resumes the IT bellweather Infosys recieves, only about 10-15000 are screened to the next level, i.e. call for an interview.

We cant help it, In India for any opening which pays relatively well people are bound to rush in, if we see the profiles of the people who have rushed into training, we see moneyed 'jats' from haryana who cant string proper sentences in english, wouldnt be able to spell names, flying in USA. There are 18 year old girls who puke in the cockpit on their first flight!, ive seen inquiries on the web with the title ' sir i want to be pilet!!!'
now how ever can these folks land jobs??

[lastdon]

Hi Apache,

This really is funny: sir i want to be pilet

Well i agree: In any field desire without discipline is DANGEROUS!! :uhoh:

Just by saying things about passion is not enough. :=

But regarding what DGCA has done is surely not going to be a smooth trasition for indian aspirants.

WHY? Because most of the airlines have already got a good bench (Sorry for using this IT related term - it means resources :}).

And BTW non science students are also getting ready to pack their bags. Bit by the FLYING bug?? :ugh:

Regards

[apachelongbow]

/* But regarding what DGCA has done is surely not going to be a smooth trasition for indian aspirants.

WHY? Because most of the airlines have already got a good bench (Sorry for using this IT related term - it means resources :}).
*/

If all airlines do have a good bench strength, then the really passionate new pilots would work as FI, GA jobs, wont they? If one is passionate about flying, then he/she should find 'flying' opportunities, and not 'airline jobs'. BTW the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy have advertised calling CPL holders to join them on short service commission...

[lastdon]

Oh yes.....did go through the advertisement. :)

Well if you are talking about GA in india.....its still in a nascent stage. :{

[rotors88]

Does anyone know please the situation for working long term in India on a FATA & work-visa? I am already here working & prospects appear excellent for a rotory pilot. I have met a lady here & enquiring about the longer term visa & work permits, having long term secure work here will be no problems in the rotory field. Is it true that either 2010 or 4 years is the maximum period for a work permit? Can this be extended? What might the work permits be if marrying an Indian lady? Thank for your help. Cheers

[bad_attitude]

don't worry about the DGCA and the 2010 dead line. they have a habit of coming up with stupid rules, but there are always work arounds.

the demand for rotor pilots is here to stay.