With an aim to ensure better safety in helicopter operations following frequent mishaps, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has listed revised rules for instructors, examiners and check pilots for flying.
A document signed by the director general of DGCA, Arun Kumar, states that a senior pilot can become a type rated instructor (TRI), type rated examiner (TRE) or a check pilot only if he or she hasn’t failed any of the proficiency (skills and knowledge test) checks on helicopters during the preceding two years and has an accident-free record during the preceding three years.
TRIs and TREs fly and examine, respectively, certain types of helicopters that require additional training beyond the initial pilot license and training. A check pilot performs safety operations on the helicopter and certifies a pilot on the basis of his or her proficiency. The revised rules also stipulate that senior pilots holding these positions should complete mandatory flying hours on a particular type of helicopter and must have cleared pilot-in-command (PIC) rating at their very first attempt.
The revised civil aviation rules (CAR) also state that the pilot should not have tested positive for alcohol during the pre- and post-flight medical check in the previous three years. Moreover, a pilot who has been approved as a TRI, TRE or check pilot will continue their tenure for five years from the date of approval, unless their approval is revoked or suspended. During the five years, the pilot has to continue to regularly fly the type of aircraft on which the approval has been granted.
{{/usCountry}}The revised civil aviation rules (CAR) also state that the pilot should not have tested positive for alcohol during the pre- and post-flight medical check in the previous three years. Moreover, a pilot who has been approved as a TRI, TRE or check pilot will continue their tenure for five years from the date of approval, unless their approval is revoked or suspended. During the five years, the pilot has to continue to regularly fly the type of aircraft on which the approval has been granted.
{{/usCountry}}“The CAR brings clarity in appointment of check pilots, TRI and TRE by helicopter operators. We believe this leads to transparency in the system of granting approvals. We hope that the approvals will be time-bound and do not get into bureaucratic tangles,” said captain Uday Gelli, president of the western region, Rotary Wing Society of India, a not-for-profit professional society registered for the growth of civil and military helicopter industry in India.
Over the last five years, four of the six helicopter crashes have been in Mumbai. These include the Bombay High crash in November 2015, which killed both the pilots performing night sortie; the crash in Aarey in December 2016, killing four people on-board; Pawan Hans chopper crash in January 2018, which killed five ONGC deputy general managers and two pilots; and the Ghatkopar crash in June 2018, which killed four on-board people and a pedestrian.
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