Lack of instructors, aircraft hits training

V Ayyappan TNN

Jan 26, 2009

Chennai: Madras Flying Club is now left with one aircraft for close to 200 students after the Cessna 152A flown by a trainee pilot crashlanded on the runway of Vellore airport. This adds to the woes of a club, which is hard pressed for manpower to train students and also accused of skirting safety norms set by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Madras Flying Club had resumed flight training just three months ago after a gap of several months of inactivity. The Club did not have a chief flying instructor until four months ago, and the lone flying instructor they had was grounded for medical reasons, sources said. As per norms, a flying club should have three serviceable aircraft with a chief flying instructor or flying instructor in charge of the training and other ground infrastructure needed to provide training for students seeking a Commercial Pilot License (CPL). Officially, the club has four aircraft — three Cessnas and a Hansa. But it is now left with just one serviceable aircraft— the Hansa. One Cessna plane that met with an accident in 2007 is yet to be repaired. The third, a Cessna 172 R supplied by DGCA six months ago, is lying unused in a hangar at Chennai airport for want of a flying instructor qualified to train on such an aircraft, said a member of the Madras Flying Club. Lessons had resumed at the club after a chief flying instructor, flying instructor and a ground instructor were appointed four months ago. However, like all other flying clubs across the country, Madras Flying Club is short on infrastructure to handle students. According to Captain Balaraman, a member of the club : “We have received reports that a ground instructor who does not have a valid flying instructor’s licence was imparting flying lessons to some of the students.” This is seen to compromise safety. “If an accident happens, the club will be in trouble,” he added. Similarly, DGCA has only permitted flying from Vellore one week at a stretch after which the aircraft has to be brought to Chennai for maintenance. But this rule has been given the go-by to allow continuous flying.