Flying in India
 

Hi Everyone

I searched the forum, but dont find a lot of info.

1. What is the general feeling about flying in India?
2. How is the living conditions?
3. General view of India?
4. Typical weather?


Thx in advance.

Scalci

My guess is,
1. Crap
2. Crap
3. Crap
4. Crap

I am an OCI holder in India with an FAA CPL. Trying to get a DGCA CPL. I'll be honest with you. It takes time to get something done in India. There is a lot of bureaucracy involved, so be aware of the time.

1) If you are pursuing flight training, I wouldn't suggest India because there are very few flight schools which can get you done in under a year. Your best bet is to head to a commonwealth country like Canada or New Zealand. Now I say commonwealth because the conversion becomes much much easier. You don't have to give an RT exam anymore. Florida is also a good place but then they don't have an RT license, so you'll have to get that either in india or elsewhere which is a pain.
If you are interested in flying, check out Indigo's or Jet's Cadet programme. They'll get you a job quick.

Now if you already hold a license and have hours, then you should remember that there will be a lot of paperwork to be done before you can get your license verified and processed. The DGCA takes their sweet time. So be vary of that.

2) If you live in a metropolitan city, you'll be fine. It'll take time to get adjusted to the traffic and the surroundings but once you do that, the place is liveable.
3) India is currently booming with aviation. Last I heard there are almost 1000 aircrafts on order by all the airlines. It will take up to 10 years to receive them but nonetheless it is booming. So there are very favourable conditions for employment. But I hope they upgrade their infrastructure because of the increase in traffic.
4) Weather is fine. Rain showers during the summer and winter gets cold but not too chilly.

I am not sure if you are asking this because you want to switch bases to India or you are looking for flight training options here.
But if you have any other questions, feel free to message me.

Every been there?

My guess is that he spends a lot of time on DailyMail. You know...England's rubbish media.

Crap x 4 for me. Been flying into and over that joint for nearly 3 decades. If I never get another India pattern it will be too soon.

rubikscube1348 thank you for the response.

I have a 2year flying opportunity there. Based in New Delhi.

I am licensed and rated on their aircraft.

What is the training bond?
If it's reasonable then by all means go.
I've yet to fly into India but from the people that have; expect loads of bureaucracy and everything moves at the speed of chilled molasses.

" chilled molasses" lmao, good one !

Hi, I need to comit for 2 years, not too bad.

Can anyone share their experience with accommodation?

Give us some more info buddy.
How is this broken down?
What if you bail with a serious case of Delhi belly in 6 months?
Is this for pic or FO?
India has had issues with less then stellar pilot training and record falsification.
If you're not very familiar with how things work in the part of the world you want a plan B that doesn't involve leaving your first born behind.
This can be s wonderful adventure or a drama from day 1.

It all depends who will be your employer there, however, Delhi is not for everyone for sure...

Lmao, nor in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata etc etc

Bangalore or Trivandrum will be at the top of the list if I have a choice, remaining places....aaa...yeaa...commuting is a mental saver...

8 years as a expat, its not that bad if you have a sense of adventure

Hey scalci, my friend is working for the same company, there is plus and minus.
He is still there after a year and half, he only has minor complains.
I can't seem to pm you for some reason to explain the minuses

Goose2111 Thank you, I will send you a PM now.

Goose2111, I get this when trying to send you a PM

“The following errors occurred with your submission:
goose2111 has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.”

I have been able to sent you a pm now, please check

India in a nutshell
 

For whatever its worth, here are my $0.02

1. The company that's hiring you will figure out the license and other small bits and provide you with assistance, if my guess is correct, your employer is in dire need of crew and will move mountains to get you this side soonest.

2. Delhi weather is quite inhospitable due to its proximity to the desert on one side and the himalayas on the other. Summers are 45 degrees and winters the scale tips to low single digits.

3. I would strongly recommend you either stay in one of the nicer apartments in a place called "Dwarka" Sector 23 (like Park Royal or Beverly Park) which are close to the airport (about a 15minute drive, but you'll have a cab to pick you up and drop you, standard practice in India), or look at the suburb of Gurgaon ... specifically Golf Course Road, which has a plethora of good apartment complexes. One of the critical things of moving countries is to have an ecosystem around you that is conducive and helps you do your job, rather than have to fix out issues at home and then fly.

4. There is bureaucracy, red tape and everything else that has already been mentioned, but it is a whiter shade of grey. The industry just exponentially expanded one fine day and the systems and processes to support such an expansion didn't exist. It is falling in place now, slowly.

5. From a flying perspective, the Indian solution is to throw people at a problem, who sometimes compound the problem. Its a cultural thing, nothing you or anyone else can do about it, where there are a billion plus people, manpower is cheap (which will also work to your advantage with a permanent driver to chauffer you around and maids who will cook, clean and shop groceries for you). It's quite normal to see a horde of people (in excess of 20) around an aircraft at any given point in time, don't freak out. It will slowly sink in. Manpower replaces automation in this country... Hell, when you go to a mall, there is a guy next to the parking ticket machine who'll pull out the receipt and hand it over to you, Only in India does a machine have its own servant.

6. Keep your head low the initial few months, there is lookout at the regulator for loud people and more importantly internal politics (as is with any airline). Figure out your landscape well. Golden rule - never take anyone/anything at face value.

7. I'm sure you're an accomplished flier and you have more to give than take when you're here. Do try and take a few inexperienced ones under your wing and impart your knowledge to them, Indians respect those who can teach. It will help you significantly make friends who matter and more importantly friends who care.

8. As a thumb rule, do not dip your pen in company ink. Consequences are harsh and the law is heavily skewed to the advantage of the women.

Most importantly, take a deep breath and take the plunge. You'll go back with an experience that is richer than writing "crap... crap...crap...crap" on a forum.