Carver Aviation!!
 

What do you need to get an Indian Commercial Pilot Licence? If an FIR filed last week against a chief flying instructor is any indication, the only requisite is loads of cash. In a shocking case that has grave ramifications for safety, a CFI allegedly cleared 25 aspiring pilots without conducting the mandatory flying checks that test their competence.

The students, who have trained abroad, approached Capt Ashim Taxali, former CFI of the Academy of Carver Aviation, Baramati, for licence conversion. Students with foreign CPLs need Indian certification to Indian ones to get employed with airlines in the country. The licence conversion process includes taking theory exams and clearing practical flying checks, which can be conducted by any directorate general of civil aviation-certified CFI.

According to the FIR filed by Mark Carvalho, chairman of Carver Aviation, on October 27 at Baramati taluka police station, Taxali certified the students eligible for Indian CPLs without so much as making them sit in an aircraft.

"He allegedly charged them about Rs 3 lakh each and signed on their flight log books stating that he used aircraft belonging to Carver Aviation from Pune airport for checks," says assistant police inspector K T Pingle. "But Carver Aviation claims its aircraft were never used. We are investigating the allegations but Capt Taxali is absconding. He has apparently applied for bail." Taxali was not available for comment.

The matter also brings into question another issue — whether the signatures of air traffic control officers of Pune airport were forged or whether they colluded with the CFI and students in the fraud.

A licence conversion check involves a day-flying check, night check and instrument-rating check where the student is graded in a number of flying jobs like pre-flight checks, taxiing, take-off and steep turns.

"It is very significant as the authenticity of entries in the student’s flight log books are never verified by DGCA," said an instructor. "These checks are the only means of knowing whether the student has actually taken any flying training and whether he/she knows to fly."

This has always been in Marc's knowledge, the question is why now!!!

No surprise!
 

This happens all over India. Im glad someone actually filed a complaint against these a$$holes...better late then never!!!

The DGCA expects pilot cadidates to pass their unnecessarily exhausting AND obsolete written tests but couldn't care less about their actual flying abilities!! Furthermore, the same authority appoints these CFIs/Instructors to control/influence such an important phase of an aspiring pilots career.

I heard there is an Instructor in Chennai, who charges the students an extra Rs. 10,000-20,000 to progress to the next stage of training!!! They all need to be caught and prosecuted to set an example...as a result, it may make the NG and 320 captains' lives better down the road.

Ax

The corruption in Indian aviation starts with the DGCA itself.

Rdr.....you are right. The corruption starts at the DGCA level and trickles on down. Right now everyone knows about the boom in aviation in India and everyone's out there to make a quick buck. Safety is a big compromise. I can't imagine these kids on the right seat of an A320 or NG.

crazy days ahead...

Wrotten
 

Whats happening must also be in DGCA's knowledge besides Marc's. Maybe it got too hot to handle for Carver's boss so better to implicate before being implicated. Are we to believe that the aviation ministry does not know whats going on? This ill gotten wealth is shared down the line. And this maliase runs much deeper. Carver must be the tip of the iceberg.

Aeronotix

How much is RS 3 lakh in US dollars?

3 lakh = 300000.- i think it's about 1$~40 Rs makes it about $7500

big deal
 

all this hue and cry about conversion day/night/ir checks , even if these students were made to fly, do these a###holes let the students actually be on the controls... i have done an IR renewal check in which the examiner briefed me about keeping both my hands behind the seat and to make sure my feet were nowhere near the rudder!

we need to have regional Flight Standards District Offices throughout the country which should have DGCA ( we have to rely and depend on them till an alternative comes up ) approved examiners( these guys should be independent of any flying clubs etc. ) conduct these tests and have a PTS ( practical test standards ) clearly defining the skills required by the pilots to pass the appropriate checks like in the US.

yes the malaise runs deep and starts from the top but we need to stop passing the buck and I hold the guys who paid the alleged sums of money equally guilty as the alleged CFI.

and for all those fearing for flight safety in india...yes we have off the shelf rookie( i was one, 5 yrs back ) f/o's but there is an experienced captain on the left and most airlines have been and will be sticklers for releasing captains to fly the line...and i hope that continues...

scorpilot, did you get ur cpl in india or did you also go through the rigorous process of "conversion"?

i'm in the process of converting an ICAO license to an indian one, and my recency expires even before the results of the first conversions paper that I have given comes out. which means I have to fly back to some other place to get recent for the conversion, this sucks.

I beginning to think if it really is worth converting after all, considering my class I medical appointment is a good 15 months away from today.


Anyone knows any jobs out there (preferably in GA) for pilots with minimal experience (~220-250 hrs)

yes i did go thru the conversion but that was a decade back and i had cleared all my indian exams including my RTR before going for my FAA training, even then the idiots took 2 months to issue me my indian commercial!
do go thru the new flow chart at dgca.nic.in...its shows you guys exactly what they want for an indian cpl. I do foresee class I medicals getting outsourced soon and ppl getting hired on a foreign commercial for a period of 2-3 yrs initially till you get the conversion done...keep your fingers crossed!

Link to the posted Article
 

Just for the record, this article is from
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...ow/2520602.cms

And scorpilot, I really hope the DGCA outsources the Class I medicals. You have any inside info on when it might be done? And airlines aren't hiring foreign licenses (with 220 hours) at present, there's plenty of DGCA pilots to fill up the gaps!

Reviews
 

Any pass out pilot from this academy can shed light on current situation of training provided in this institute?

Is it worth training here?