DGCA sets up committee to review ‘out-of-syllabus’ questions of pilots’ RTR exam

Mumbai: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has constituted a three-member committee to examine complaints regarding alleged out-of-syllabus questions in the Radio Telephony Restricted (RTR) examination conducted on May 20, reviving a long-running debate within the Indian aviation industry over the way pilots are tested for radio communication proficiency.

According to a DGCA order dated May 21, the committee, comprising three DGCA top officials, has been asked to submit its report within a week.

The RTR examination, formally called the `Radio Telephony Restricted (Aeronautical)’ certification exam, is mandatory for pilots and tests radio communication skills and standard phraseology used between pilots and air traffic controllers.

For years, senior pilots and pilot bodies have campaigned for changes in the RTR examination system. The argument was that the test was conducted by officials from the Department of Telecommunications’ Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing, who have no operational flying experience. Following consistent protest from the pilots’ fraternity, in 2024, DGCA took on the responsibility of conducting these tests.

Capt Manoj Hathi, former director (operations) Air India, said not much had changed despite the handover. “It’s old wine in a new bottle. The concerns over the RTR examination process had first been formally raised in 2018 after complaints about alleged malpractices and irrelevant questioning patterns,” he said.

Speaking about the latest development, Capt Hathi criticised the composition of the newly formed DGCA panel, saying none of its members were pilots. He said internationally such proficiency tests are generally conducted by qualified flight instructors or domain experts and that most countries follow a simplified version based on ICAO Doc 4444 for pilot examinations. “Back in 2023, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) , in a representation to the government had alleged that the problem with the RTR exams was that the examiners often used their discretion to examine candidates on irrelevant topics that have no bearing on the core subject at hand,” he added.