Surat gets flying academy, youth's aspirations new wings

Surat: After years of wait, it will now be possible for the local youth to have their share of the skies over the city. A flying club, which has become operational at the well-equipped Magdalla airport, has given wings to the aspiration of the local youth who want to make a career in flying. It will be possible for them to get commercial and private pilot licences in the city itself with Rainbow Flying Club Academy (RFCA) becoming operational after approval by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The academy, owned by the son of former Union textile minister Shankersinh Waghela, has three Cessna four-seater aircraft. At least 15 students have already enrolled for flying training here.
“Our students are from across the country including a couple of them who belong to Surat city,” Bharatsinh, the academy promoter, said. “The number of students will increase after Diwali. We had asked many of those who had enrolled at the academy to join after the holidays,” he added.
A flying instructor said, “The flying requirement for private pilot licence (PPL) is 50 hours and 200 hours for a commercial pilot licence (CPL). Regular daily flying can help a student to complete the commercial pilot’s training in 200 days.”
Other than practical training, a student pilot has to clear theory papers also for different licences for which the preparation will done at the academy under the instructions of qualified instructors.
21/10/09 Himanshu Bhatt/Times of India