No cruise control in India's flying clubs

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">NEW DELHI: The sun has truly risen over the aviation sector in India. But the shine could just get dimmer if steps aren''t taken to see that India produces pilots here itself. With nearly 26 flying clubs in India, that shouldn''t be difficult, right? Wrong. Those who can afford it, would rather send their children abroad to learn flying.California and Texas are preferred as they have top-rung flying schools. <br /><br />"Our flying schools are in disarray. I wanted to send my son to a flying school here. But the main bug-bear is time — it takes about 18 months to get the basic Commercial Pilot''s License (CPL). Abroad, it can be done in six months," Capt. Ashok Kumar*, a commander in an airline. <br /><br />A CPL for a single-engine plane along with a twin-engine one, requires 250 hours of flying. Most of the big airlines prefer both. <br /><br />He adds, "Most flying schools here also have few planes. If planes are there, either they''re grounded for lack of spares or lack of fuel. If there is enough ground crew, then flying crew is unavailable and vice versa. Most instructors prefer greener pastures and join airlines," he says. He sent his son to a flying school in Texas late last year. The issue of flying schools, especially the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy (IGRUA) in Rae Bareli, vexed Rahul Gandhi, Amethi MP, enough for him to recently urge Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel to improve it to match international standards. <br /><br />"Most flying schools are also state academies and therefore prone to state interference," says Capt Rahul James, another commander. <br /><br />By 2010, there''ll be a shortage of over 2,000 pilots in India, predicts Kapil Kaul, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. "How long can airlines employ foreign pilots or poach on others? India needs to generate them from flying clubs here," he says. <br /><br />The rates vary. Kumar says he''s spending some $23,500 (about Rs 11 lakh) for his son''s six-month training in Texas. "That''s cheaper than some schools in India," he says. Capt Anand Rao, who sent his son to MP Flying Club, Indore, spent Rs 3,150 per hour (about Rs 8 lakh). <br /><br />Pilots who did their training abroad reminisce about their days there. Capt Anil Nath, who did his training in St Fort Worth, Texas, in 1988, says he got his CPL within six months after spending a total of Rs 2.19 lakh.<br /><br /> "Here, it would have taken me two years, even without a scholarship. My training school there had enough planes — 24-25 Cessnas. I could fly a plane for 12 hours and even change instructors if I wanted. I paid $11 an hour for them. I would even fly to Dallas International Airport nearby, the third busiest in the United States. <br /><br />Here, some students are even told to look for canals and roads to guide them! The training field in Texas had two parallel runways. Delhi airport still has only one operational runway. Can India match these standards?" he asks. Rao adds that the DGCA had too many restrictions about where to fly. "Navigational aids abroad are top class — a student can even fly solo." Born free and life is truly worth living. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">* Names changed to protect identity</span></div> </div>