No foreign co-pilots from June 1
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No foreign co-pilots from June 1
NEW DELHI: From June 1, India's commercial aircraft will not have foreign co-pilots on board. This will open fresh opportunities for thousands of aspiring pilots in the airline industry, said a government official.
The development comes in the wake of the government's decision that Indian airlines should have only Indian co-pilots from June 1. The carriers are also required to discontinue the services of senior foreign pilots, designated as commanders, by July 2010, the official said.
According to official sources, leading private airline Jet Airways received over 900 applications for the 10 posts it had advertised for hiring co-pilots.
According to Kanu Gohain, chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, a total of 1,490 foreign pilots were given licences last year to work for the Indian civil aviation sector.
"Despite having a valid commercial pilot licence (CPL), many of the aspiring young Indian pilots have not been able to get through any Indian air carriers," an airline official told IANS.
Initially, when India did not have an adequate number of well-trained pilots, the carriers hired foreign pilots and co-pilots. However, according to industry sources, now there are many trained Indian pilots waiting in the wings.
The Indian pilots employed with airlines also complain that their promotion avenues suffer as airlines hire many foreign senior pilots.
But now, the airline industry is feeling the pinch. It has to pay a hefty salary to these foreign pilots.
"We have a contractual agreement with these foreign pilots and so they cannot be asked to leave," a senior DGCA official said.
"We are quite happy that the foreign pilots will soon be replaced by Indian pilots," he added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/3087955.cms
Man this is good news. What is your opinion now people about us aspiring pilots. I bet our odds have increased tremendously.
The development comes in the wake of the government's decision that Indian airlines should have only Indian co-pilots from June 1. The carriers are also required to discontinue the services of senior foreign pilots, designated as commanders, by July 2010, the official said.
According to official sources, leading private airline Jet Airways received over 900 applications for the 10 posts it had advertised for hiring co-pilots.
According to Kanu Gohain, chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, a total of 1,490 foreign pilots were given licences last year to work for the Indian civil aviation sector.
"Despite having a valid commercial pilot licence (CPL), many of the aspiring young Indian pilots have not been able to get through any Indian air carriers," an airline official told IANS.
Initially, when India did not have an adequate number of well-trained pilots, the carriers hired foreign pilots and co-pilots. However, according to industry sources, now there are many trained Indian pilots waiting in the wings.
The Indian pilots employed with airlines also complain that their promotion avenues suffer as airlines hire many foreign senior pilots.
But now, the airline industry is feeling the pinch. It has to pay a hefty salary to these foreign pilots.
"We have a contractual agreement with these foreign pilots and so they cannot be asked to leave," a senior DGCA official said.
"We are quite happy that the foreign pilots will soon be replaced by Indian pilots," he added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/3087955.cms
Man this is good news. What is your opinion now people about us aspiring pilots. I bet our odds have increased tremendously.
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It appears that the Economic Times and a 'government official' don't have their facts straight. While I have not seen the official legislation from the DGCA, I assure you that many an expat co-pilot will still be flying with Indian carriers after 1 June (FATAs have just been extended under the 4 year/2010 extension).
As an outsider looking in, the problem appears to be a lack of planning and antiquated training systems that don't deal with the modern aircraft boom in India. The result is aircraft arrive, the crew shortage gets deeper, and FOs don't get to progress into other fleets or get command opportunities thus stagnating the whole process.
I understand that there are plenty of qualified ab-initio candidates, but as of today there is no one trained and ready to take my seat. Once that happens I will happily say "Khuda Hafiz" or "Chalte Hain" take my experience and move on. It's just a part of the life of a contract pilot.
To the young Indian pilots good luck. Relax and things will work out in due course, most of you still have 45 years of productive life as a professional pilot...
MayFly
As an outsider looking in, the problem appears to be a lack of planning and antiquated training systems that don't deal with the modern aircraft boom in India. The result is aircraft arrive, the crew shortage gets deeper, and FOs don't get to progress into other fleets or get command opportunities thus stagnating the whole process.
I understand that there are plenty of qualified ab-initio candidates, but as of today there is no one trained and ready to take my seat. Once that happens I will happily say "Khuda Hafiz" or "Chalte Hain" take my experience and move on. It's just a part of the life of a contract pilot.
To the young Indian pilots good luck. Relax and things will work out in due course, most of you still have 45 years of productive life as a professional pilot...
MayFly
short flights long nights
I bet it will be a big big mess
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Hopefully not a big mess in the ground. As much as the young pilots with CPL's think there are ready, for the most part they are not. But good luck and hope all works out IE no CFIT's
PS; No standby travel for me on indian domestic
PS; No standby travel for me on indian domestic
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pure indian style @ its BEST
black, no no, white,,
up.....no no no lets go down
left?.........no no right ?....or is it write ?, whatever
test........humm.......lets bribe instead!!!
will never ever change.........
black, no no, white,,
up.....no no no lets go down
left?.........no no right ?....or is it write ?, whatever
test........humm.......lets bribe instead!!!
will never ever change.........
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Fine!
Let's fill all 777, A330/340 left seats with 2,000 hrs machos, along with 300 hrs f/os, a la Korean Air in the early 80's, and watch CNN headlines on smoking debris and human remains.
Who's going to pay the bill?
Who's going to pay the bill?
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too bad...
This is a very sad news for all foreign pilots who wanted to have a chance to work in that country...
Only wish that any pilots can fly wherever they want... no border, no lisence restrictions, no races or religions... just experience.
I still beleive that young pilots have to build experience (+ or - 4000 hours) on charter plane or bush flying... and get the the ATPL before having a jet in their hands, maybe that will increase safety.
fly safe.
Only wish that any pilots can fly wherever they want... no border, no lisence restrictions, no races or religions... just experience.
I still beleive that young pilots have to build experience (+ or - 4000 hours) on charter plane or bush flying... and get the the ATPL before having a jet in their hands, maybe that will increase safety.
fly safe.
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"Only wish that any pilots can fly wherever they want... no border, no lisence restrictions, no races or religions... just experience."
Well the DGCA does not discriminate, it hates all pilots equally ... ask any Indian with a foreign license whose trying to convert / converted his/her license to an Indian one ...
Well the DGCA does not discriminate, it hates all pilots equally ... ask any Indian with a foreign license whose trying to convert / converted his/her license to an Indian one ...
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"... if only the GA market were healthy in India"
Totally agree with you. I think it is a great shame that GA, recreational aviation and you name it, has been stifiled by bureaucracy somewhere along the line. Air experience is the word and the more widely varied, the better the experience.
It is a magnificent country which lends itself to all sorts of opportunities and possibilities.
A lot of people point the finger at the US but remember, one is relatively free to do their own thing here, as far as aviation goes. You cannot blame people for trying to defend that freedom, can you? Land of the free........
"Well the DGCA does not discriminate, it hates all pilots equally ... "
I don't think there is one pilot among the lot of them, is there?
Reminds me years ago, when I worked for an "operator" who said these words "you pilots are burning too much fuel, so I am not going to buy anymore."
Totally agree with you. I think it is a great shame that GA, recreational aviation and you name it, has been stifiled by bureaucracy somewhere along the line. Air experience is the word and the more widely varied, the better the experience.
It is a magnificent country which lends itself to all sorts of opportunities and possibilities.
A lot of people point the finger at the US but remember, one is relatively free to do their own thing here, as far as aviation goes. You cannot blame people for trying to defend that freedom, can you? Land of the free........
"Well the DGCA does not discriminate, it hates all pilots equally ... "
I don't think there is one pilot among the lot of them, is there?
Reminds me years ago, when I worked for an "operator" who said these words "you pilots are burning too much fuel, so I am not going to buy anymore."
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Its definetly too bad that GA is not very big in a country the size of India. I was looking at some bizjet jobs and their requirements were even higher than the airlines. Now flying corporate myself I know that the two are very different types of flying and one is not a stepping stone to the other but common! What these guys are asking for they will not get once they kick out all the foreigners.
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Sounds more like pride than reason. When I was a CFI in California I had the chance to instruct one indian student. I was surprised to find out he didn't need an Instrument Rating, just something like 20 hrs hood time and some time in the Elite sim. He didn't need a Comm Multi, just 15 hours in a Seneca. The only formal courses he did was PPL and CPL SE w/o instrument, the rest was just stuff that had to be logged, not really learned and tested. Since their business was (and is) very valued in flight schools, there were no questions asked, we just focused on the 2 check rides and tried to cover as much as we could when meeting the other non-license requirements. He went from 0 time to A320 FO in 4-5 months, but he was hoping for a bigger jet.
I felt reassured knowing he would probably be flying with a 10,000 + hour captain teaching him what he didn't learn in his 4 month career as a pilot. Sounds like that could change.
It seems logical that they want to employ their own people, more so when the expat salaries are high, but it seems kind of abrupt, maybe not very well thought out. Lets hope it doesn't come back and bite them in the ass. What about insurance? Aren't there still strict hour minimums to act as PIC of one of these jets?
rcl
I felt reassured knowing he would probably be flying with a 10,000 + hour captain teaching him what he didn't learn in his 4 month career as a pilot. Sounds like that could change.
It seems logical that they want to employ their own people, more so when the expat salaries are high, but it seems kind of abrupt, maybe not very well thought out. Lets hope it doesn't come back and bite them in the ass. What about insurance? Aren't there still strict hour minimums to act as PIC of one of these jets?
rcl
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I remember my 5 months of instructing. Very busy training indian students. For the most part, very nice and very excited to be flying. But when you got into deeper conversation with them about their career ambitions they had a sense of entitlement. Talking about how when they got back they will be flying an ATR or Airbus. Their english was poor and they flying skills were nothing to be excited about. I was scared for those 5 months although it really put me on my toes.
Eventually I couldnt take it and told one of my students that if he keeps landing like that he wont ever see an airbus. I left very soon as the stress was not worth the pay.
The biggest mistake is the brainwashing and hype that these airlines and media and government put out there. There is alot of pride in their country getting come publicity, and I do wish them the best. But do things right. 2000hr captains on a CRJ, comeon! Train them right, let them focus on what they are doing too many are distracted with the big shiny jet they will be coming home too... or so they think.
Nothing will ever replace experience
Eventually I couldnt take it and told one of my students that if he keeps landing like that he wont ever see an airbus. I left very soon as the stress was not worth the pay.
The biggest mistake is the brainwashing and hype that these airlines and media and government put out there. There is alot of pride in their country getting come publicity, and I do wish them the best. But do things right. 2000hr captains on a CRJ, comeon! Train them right, let them focus on what they are doing too many are distracted with the big shiny jet they will be coming home too... or so they think.
Nothing will ever replace experience