Cost of attesting documents.

[Skydiveandy]

I had a former student recently approach the school he trained at to have some documents attested by the chief pilot.

These documents are those required by the Indian DGCA. Hence there are quite a few of them. From Type ratings to hours, radio operator etc etc..Lets say maybe 15 different documents to be signed.

Now we all understand that time is money. Fair is fair. The student has most likely spent in excess of $70,000 so far at his training school.

Whats a reasonable charge for having these documents attested - (witnessed) by either the Chief Flying Instructor or Chief Pilot.

Looking forward to hearing what your school charges, if anything and what we all beleive to be fair and reasonable.

Andy

[jas24zzk]

That's a needle in a haystack..........

That being said, if so required, i'd happily pay the organisations ground tuition rate. If you have everything in order, shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours.

[Time will tell]

Thanks Jas,

I should have mentioned that the all of the documents are normally already produced via template by the student with their individual details.

All the CP or CFI needs to do is confirm the details, including hours which most would have on their computers. Licence and endorsement details which they have from the licence etc etc..

Should not take more than an hour "IF" the student has done the right thing.

Andy.

[Kharon]

TWT # 3 - Should not take more than an hour "IF" the student has done the right thing.

Rumour and fact has it the Indian Authority, being once burnt are now twice shy. Makes sense, for the worlds 'best' bureaucracy to ensure that "their" drivers are all properly (paperwork) qualified. Mein theek hoon, shukriya!

[22k]

Did the guy train at the school? If so, just do it for free! He's already paid a ****load into the coffers there.

To ask him to pay again is just being overly tight.

[Bonniciwah]

How's it different to authorising paper work for SPL and ASIC?

[AEROWASP]

The student should be charged nothing!

[swh]

Originally Posted by Skydiveandy

Whats a reasonable charge for having these documents attested - (witnessed) by either the Chief Flying Instructor or Chief Pilot.

I disagree this should be done for free. It would depend on what exactly the need on their forms. Some foreign CAAs I have worked with needed every aircraft flown broken down with day and night hours, dual and command etc. They considered a C172 N/P/R/S as 4 different types. It ended up being easier in the end to put all the records into a commercial computer logbook program and then generate the reports.

I have not worked with the DGCA, I do however fly to India. before entry I need to breakdown all the currency I have with me (not allowed to import or export their local currency), and other valuable possessions with brand and model number down on multiple copies of paperwork. Go through customs and immigration you are hit with even more paperwork. Given this paperwork landslide just to get into the country, I would hate to think what they need to get a licence converted.

Try going to a solicitor and getting them to read, photocopy, print a single page for free. They have standard cost recovery schedules for each item.

The cost of a CFI/CP at a large school probably is in the region of $100 /hr, for a 40 hr week, and 48 weeks a year. I think CASA has a cost recovery rate of around $75/hr to send copies of your computer records to a foreign CAA. That is for someone without the license, medical, qualifications, or responsibility of a CFI.

Sick of people in this industry thinking time is free. This might seem like it is trivial on a one off basis, if you get 10 of these across your desk at the same time, as bunch of the students trained together, it could turn out to be over a weeks work. Remember there is normally a nice little catch on such paperwork, something to the effect they can come back and get you if you make an error in the certification.

The cost of training would cover the issue of the appropriate CASA licenses and ratings. To suggest that a school should absorb these costs means that students who do not get their licences converted are subsidizing the overseas licences issue, as everyone is paying for these overheads.

Originally Posted by Bonniciwah

How's it different to authorising paper work for SPL and ASIC?

Those are part of a role of the CFI in Australia, certifying license documents and training records for another CAA is not. CASA also has cost recovery for foreign CAA work.

[Skydiveandy]

SWH

I totally agree that a charge is warranted. Time is certainly money. Having said that, the student did all of his training at this flight school spending in excess of $75,000.

The students has created all of the documents to be signed and provided the required evidence. Lic, Logbook, company printouts of hours and student records.

How much time do we think it should take given all of the information was provided.

The instructors at the school are very good in making sure the documents are in order prior to the student giving it to the CP/CFI. They normally check all of the hours against the database and logbook.

So how much do we beleive it should cost per hours for this. I beleive $100 an hour is reasonable. What are your thought guys.

Andy

[billboard]

While i do agree with the argument that "time is money", taking that argument too far can cost one significant goodwill. I have not heard of any flight school charging for DGCA paperwork. If you do charge for it then you will be highlighting yourself as different, and not in a good way. A $100/200 is not much but its often the levy of these kind of small extra charges that drives students to judge whether the management at a school is money-hungry or not. Not good at all for word-of-mouth marketing.

BTW, if the school has already verified and stamped the student's logbook, a service i believe is free, then the content of most of the documents can be verified from logbook itself! Don't ask me why the DGCA needs those documents in addition to the logbook! I don't know.

@Skydiveandy
Don't forget to wish the student good luck for the herculean task he is about to undertake.

[NGsim]

I'm constantly walking into the courthouse to get something verified and stamped by the sheriffs office for my beloved CASA (I think the 'S' is for Scaremongering!!) and they are happy to oblige at no charge and I haven't spent any money with them (at least no bribes or bail that I recall!!).

I understand that people deserve to be rewarded for their time and that this exercise is more complicated than just certifying a document but the people in question have spent a considerable amount of cash with one organisation.

It's reasonable to assume that 99% of the Indian students in question (as we are only talking about the DGCA here) have completed all of there training within the one place on an integrated programme that surely an hour of someones time is no unreasonable request at no cost. If however you're having to do the same for people that have only paid for a couple hours of training with you then that's different.......perhaps the rule you could take is no charge for the 'full time' students, as in the ones that complete all of their qualifications with the one establishment??