13/04/11 The Hindu
New Delhi: The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
has set up three teams to examine 40 flying schools across the country
from April 18. The move comes amid reports of pilot training schools
fudging their logbook entries to help candidates get licences.The teams would submit reports within three months. The authenticity
of records submitted by those who underwent training in foreign
institutions would also be scrutinised, official sources here said.Thirteen persons, including five pilots and three DGCA personnel, have
so far been arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on the
charge of using forged mark sheets and fudging flying hours to get
licences. A chief training officer of a Rajasthan flying club was
earlier arrested for fudging the logbooks of some pilots.The audit teams will verify the flying hours entered in the logbooks of
air traffic controllers. They will check the quantum of aviation fuel
used by the flying schools and their fuel bills to find out whether they
match the flying hours logged by the students.DGCA chief E.K. Bharat Bhushan, who briefed the teams, has favoured a
complete revamp of the licensing process. Last week, he met officials of
all flying schools to put together a plan to tackle document-fudging.
