Aviation Life

Training

'India needs better standards in flight training'

Banasree Purkayastha

As group president he doesn't get much time to fly aeroplanes. But flying still remains his first love, and it was to ensure that more Indian pilots get world-class training that he was recently in the capital. "We have just concluded an agreement with the Government of India to provide pilot training in the two national flight academies - Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (IGRUA) and the Rajiv Gandhi National Flying Training Institute (RGNFTI). Starting with 200 students at each of the institutes in the first year, we expect the intake to go up to 1,000 students in the coming years," says Jeff Roberts, group president, innovation and civil training & services, CAE.

CAE will transform both schools into centres of excellence for India, leading the Indian market in the delivery of a complete range of high-quality aviation training programmes. "We are pleased that the Indian government has recognised CAE's expertise in creating and managing world-class flight-training organisations. We understand that India needs to develop a solid infrastructure and implement state-of-the-art standards in flight training. These two academies, together with our upcoming training centre in Bangalore , will help address the urgent need for pilots throughout the region."

Jeff Roberts Group president, Innovation and Civil Training & Services, CAE

With both IGRUA and RGNFTI becoming members of the CAE Global Academy, Roberts sees CAE's activities in India growing. "The aviation industry in India has been at the forefront of the growing Indian economy. We expect the various airline companies in India to grow exponentially - this means more pilots, technicians, flight attendants, technicians and ground handling staff will be needed in the next few years - and we will be providing them training curriculum, courseware and innovative training methodologies," he says.

His Canada-based company is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and has been supplying the Indian aviation industry with training solutions. "With annual revenues exceeding Canadian $1 billion, CAE employs more than 6,000 people at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crew members yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments and through CAE's professional services division, we... assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs," says this diehard trainer.

Roberts understands that studying at the CAE does not come cheap. That is why he's looking at loan options for students. "The cost of a flying course can range between $60,000 and $100,000. We are talking to banks to work out educational loans for students from India. This should not be difficult since a certified student can easily repay the loan once he is absorbed as a pilot by an airline," he hopes.

Roberts is also confident that the newly started programme for multi-crew pilot license will find many takers in India. "This is the latest programme where 200 of the 250 flying hours are spent on rigorous training in the high-tech simulators where a trainee is put through the different situations that he may have to tackle in a real-time flight," he explains. So let's hope there will be many more who will be flying high.