End of flying career for 14 ‘fake’ pilots

Mumbai: In an unprecedented move, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday revoked a total of 14 commercial pilot licences (CPL), ending the career of those pilots who submitted fake flying training records from Rajasthan State Flying School to procure their licences.
This is the first time that India has taken such a stringent action against pilots who indulge in fraudulent practices.
One of the 14 pilots who lost their licence is the son of a DGCA official. “Following inputs from the anti-corruption bureau which is investigating the case, we had cancelled the licences of eight pilots. Today we cancelled another six CPLs,” said director-general of civil aviation Bharat Bhushan. Once a CPL licence is cancelled, the person is no longer a pilot. S/he can approach the court and challenge the DGCA’s decision to revoke their licence. “But since they do not have a strong case, it is unlikely that these people will fly as pilots again,” said an aviation source.
The matter pertains to 14 pilots who did their training in Rajasthan State Flying School. One of the requisites for earning a CPL is 200 hours of flying training. “These pilots had not undergone the total 200 hours of training. The chief flight instructor of this school had issued them fake records of flying training sessions,” said a source. It means their CPL licences were obtained fraudulently. The case is being investigated by the anti-corruption bureau.
India is not the first country, though, to handle cases like this with stringency. “In the UK, if you are caught copying in a pilot exam, you will lose your Airline Transport Pilot Licence and CPL as well. Your career as a pilot ends there,” said a senior commander, adding that it is not possible to submit fake documents to the UK’s aviation regulator as the entire system is computerized.
25/03/11 Manju V/Times of India