indian CPL exams

[air_fix]

Hi,

This probably belongs in the wannabes section, but its india specific, so here goes..
I plan to get my CPL and multi engine rating from Canada. But, I was advised that it would be better to clear a few CPL papers like - air navigation, meterology and air regulations before going in for the flight training.
Now, im not a member of any flight school, and aviation info is rather scant out here (chennai).
What i would like to know is what study materials should I use to prepare for these exams and if I can get them in chennai.

Thanks

[haree]

Self study wont be the best idea

Try to get out of chennai to Delhi or Pune or Hyderabad and join a good instructor

[4x4]

ATPL IN UAE

Fujairah has just renamed itself as Fujairah Aviation Academy, and has tied up with Cabair of the UK, and is offering JAA ATPL course and the new GCAA (Emirates) ATPL which is totally based on the European Syllabus, in order to comply with GCAA's wish to become fully compliant with JAA in the coming years. The Academy is re-equipping with Diamond Aircraft both the Twinstar and the DA40 single, all full IFR equipped, plus Diamond FNPT II sims. They also have a dedicated ATP groundschool with European Instructors, that combined with their own 12000 foot Runway, and free Airspace makes it extremely attractive for flight training, good prices and fairly cheap cost of living, and I believe that all accomodation, food and Visas are included in their package.

Spoke to them this week and their website has yet to be changed, but probably worth a call. Having the JAA tie up with Cabair is probably a big plus, and the School is also Indian DGCA approved. their number is [phone]

[masalama]

re fujairah

one thing that Indian students need to keep in mind is the indian DGCA rule that your checkride/flight training be done on aircraft that are included in the Indian register....basically registered in India, and I'm not sure if there are any Diamond aircraft registered in India. Fujairah has/had C-172's which is perfectly fine, are they sending those back or something????
THe good thing about fujeirah is they've got PA-34 senaca multi engine aircraft and have experience getting Indian students their multi rating....the JAA tieup sounds good too....hope the costs dont go up though....

[divinesoul]

hi

after reading masalama's post i have an enquiry.does DGCA bother on which a/c one completes his 200 hrs on.for example if one does it on piper tomahawk and i know there are no tomahawks in India.

I thought checking for a/c availability in India is only for the ME & IR rating,does it matter on which a/c you train on except for the MECIR.

please clarify.

[Burn'em and Turn'em]

License Conversion

I was on the DGCA website and came accross the following which I copied and pasted, note the text in red. I highly doubt any civilian trained pilot was taught this in their course of study. Is morse code a part of anybody's syllabus???
(except military of course)
CONVERSION OF FOREIGN LICENCES TO CORRESPONDING INDIAN LICENCES
With effect from 1st April, 1992, the pilots holding licences issued by the competent authorities of other countries shall meet the following requirements for coversion of their foreign licences to corresponding Indian licences :
1. Pass written examination in the following subjects in accordance with the syllabus prescribed by the Director General of Civil Aviation :
1. Air Regulation
2. Navigation, Flight Planning and Meteorology (composite Paper)
1. Pass Practical Test in Morse Code ARE THEY SERIOUS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! (Reception - Aural) at the rate of 8 words per minute for commercial Pilot’s Licence, Instrument Rating and Senior Commercial Pilot’s Licence/Airlines Transport Pilot’s Licence.
2. Shall be in possession of a current Certificate of Proficiency for operation of Radio Telephony apparatus on board an aircraft as issued by the Ministry of Transport and Communications under the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Rules, 1954.
3. Shall demonstrate his competency to the satisfaction of the DGCA approved Examiner by undergoing a Skill Test by Day and Night. The candidate shall also undergo Oral Test with the Examiner in various aviation subjects including Navigation Meteorology, Aircraft & Engine and Instruments, and performance wherever applicable.
(M.R. SIVARAMAN)

[4x4]

Morse!!!!!

Got big news for you, but the UK CAA until fairly recently at least have had Morse as a staple part of the CPL and ATPL examinations.........sorts the men from the boys. 30 letters in total as I remember, delivered in ten groups of three, get three individual letters wrong, and you failed the exam. I have nearly been caught out on more than one occasion by miss identing the wrong VOR, but spotted it by knowing morse.......don't write it off totally

[masalama]

Morse code recception test has been discontinued since the last 10 years now , so no need to worry about that...

[Burn'em and Turn'em]

NICE!!!!!!! Thanks for the good news. I was figuring it would one bad day in the flight deck if you had to revert to morse code, given today's technology.

B and T

Also, would DGCA consider 2 B.S. degrees in aviation and one Master's in Business the "equivalent" of the 10 plus 2 education requirement???

[tex8vc]

Burn'em and Turn'em

Also, would DGCA consider 2 B.S. degrees in aviation and one Master's in Business the "equivalent" of the 10 plus 2 education requirement???

As far as I know, big 'no' for that! Please do not count on me though and confirm it with DCGA!
Its funny but this is how it is! They would ask you to sit 10+2 with Maths and Physics!

Good Luck!

p.s. some one told me, very soon there would be a new rule: 8th grade school must be passed for car licence!

[Burn'em and Turn'em]

Are you serious?!?!?
Is their education system better than the rest of the world too????
I guess I'll try writing to the Flight Crew Training & Licensing division of DGCA, hopefully they have something good to say.
Could they make this more complicated!?!?! It seems as though their mentality is to make things so complicated that people will not even bother with them.
Thx for the info and I'll be sure to let everyone know when they get back to me, if they even do that is.
B and T

[tex8vc]

B&T,

I know quite a few people who wrote (by email) to the DGCA (from overseas) but they never got any reply!
However, if you are in India (Delhi) why not meet them?

Have you seen application form for computer number and examinations? You can not apply for examinations unless you have computer number and you would not get a computer number unless you have 10+2 with Maths and Physics!

Do let me know if you get any "confirm" news!

Thanks!

[Ravian]

10+2 Math Physics not necessary for DGCA exams

[QUOTE=tex8vc]
Have you seen application form for computer number and examinations? You can not apply for examinations unless you have computer number and you would not get a computer number unless you have 10+2 with Maths and Physics!
QUOTE]
DGCA 'requires' 10+2 Math+Physics ONLY at the time of issue of a CPL license or higher.
I did my 10+2 Physics exam only after passing all the DGCA exams.
The sections in all forms regarding educational qualifications, except in the forms of application for PPL/CPL/SCPL/ATPL, is for information only, and not for compliance. So applying for computer number and/or exams is no problem even if you've not finished year 12 of school yet.

Cheers

R

[Ravian]

How the mighty fall in front of DGCA

Oh, and as far as as the question of advanced qualifications compensating for lack of +2 math physics go - don't even bother chasing it. The DGCA is a government body that is so into the letter of the law that at the time of issue of CPL they ask you to submit the original marksheets that they themselves issued for your exam scores!! This on top of getting 'verification' letters from the school board from where you did your 10th and 12th exams that your marksheets are authentic.

Trust me, I've been through this.

And while you're rolling your eyes in exasperation, here's a little tit-bit to really twist your brain: I was reading their respective biographies and realized this: The Wright Brothers and Chuck Yeager would not meet the DGCA requirements for issue of CPL.

So we 'ordinary' people can just suck it in, take the +2 exams, and carry on, untill the DGCA is forced by parliament to change the law.

Nuff said.

[tex8vc]

The Wright Brothers and Chuck Yeager would not meet the DGCA requirements for issue of CPL.

That is why they could not make it to Big Airlines to fly Big Birds

Jokes apart, thanks for the information on Computer Number!

[haree]

Mumbai: In a significant move, the ground training exams for pilot aspirants, which was so far held once in three months, will now be held every day. The move is a boon for students, flying institutes and airlines as it would reduce the time a student spends to clear ground training exams and apply for a Commercial Pilot’s Licence.

“Ground training exams will soon be held as per demand, which would do away with the three months waiting time between two exams,’’ said Director General of Civil Aviation, K Gohain, without giving more details. Sources in DGCA said that plans are on to install eight computers in Delhi, where a student can go and give his/her ground training exam any day, though with a prior appointment date. The present system of having quarterly ground training exams will also continue.

As the minimum percentage required to clear the ground training exams is 70%, the failure rate has been very high, with hardly any students clearing all the four ground training subjects at one go in the first attempt. “After completing their 200 hours of flying training, most of the students spend at least 6-8 months, just waiting for ground training exams to happen, so that they can reappear to clear the pending subjects,’’ said Capt Yashraj Tongia, chief flying instructor, Yash Air, a flying institute in Shirpur, Maharashtra. The last ground training exam was held in April and the next one is scheduled for the last week of July. About 2,000 students appeared for the April exam, out of which a majority were those who were reappearing for a subject or two.

Aviation sources say that about 300 Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) is issued annually in India and about 60% of these are students who did their flying training abroad. This despite many hurdles like getting a security clearance (which takes 2-3 months), steep costs of flying training even in sub-standard flying institutes abroad and high failure rate of DGCA’s licence conversion exam, which one has to clear to make the CPL valid in India.

Still scores of Indian students, not wanting to spend months together in getting a CPL in India, flock to flying institutes in US and Australia, where grounding training exams are held online everyday. The DGCA’s move, aviation sources say is timely as it would put Indian flying institutes on par with foreign ones as far as the time needed to get a CPL was concerned. “Till now, no flying institute in the country could promise a student a CPL in six months time, like the foreign institutes did. But now we can,’’ Capt Tongia says adding that they already have chalked up plans to launch a special package in September, under which a student would get a CPL in six months time.

[iamanaussiemavrick]

Is the time for the medicals also reduced or still we have to wait for months to do the medicals.

Hoped DGCA could have done something for that also.

[Burn'em and Turn'em]

Thank you all for the info.
Well, no reply yet from the folks of the marvelous DGCA (not that I was expecting a speedy response), but its only been a couple days and I would be surprised if and when they do reply. Would a phone call be better? Given that I live in the States, dropping by their office in Delhi any time soon isn't likely to happen.
If my U.S. education doesn't qualify me for the Indian CPL, how would I go about taking those 10+2 exams?? Do they ONLY cover maths and physics? All my schooling was done outside of India, so would I have to take some classes there before sitting the exams? Its been a few years since I've looked at calculus and physics, so needless to say its a bit rusty. Its not exactly something you use on daily basis (even in aviation), you know what I mean people?!?!?!
I guess it would really help to know someone in the ministry that knows the "guy" that knows the "guy"

This would be for those that have successfully converted their license: are the written exams for conversion similar to those of the FAA? (multi-guess, set tiime limit, results on the the spot, etc.) and approximately how many questions?

Thank you

[tex8vc]

B&T,

Have a look at http://www.nos.org/
You can just take Maths and Physics, that is what DGCA needs!

I am not sure about examination pattern at DGCA!

Good Luck!

[Burn'em and Turn'em]

Thanks dude, I'll check it out right now.