DGCA to inspect 40 flying schools

New Delhi: In its continuing crackdown on fraudulence in issuing licenses to pilots the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced it has set up three teams which will examine 40 flying schools across the country. The inspection will commence from 18 April 18 and will include examining licenses of those pilots who have undergone training in foreign institutions.

The three teams are expected to submit reports within three months.

So far thirteen persons, including five pilots and three DGCA personnel, have 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.

Earlier, a chief training officer of a Rajasthan flying club was arrested for fudging the logbooks of some pilots.

The audit teams have arrived at a modus operandi to verify the flying hours entered in the logbooks of pilots by cross checking with the log books of air traffic controllers. They will also check the amount of aviation fuel used by flying schools and their fuel bills to find out if these quantities match the flying hours logged by students.

Last week, DGCA chief EK Bharat Bhushan met officials of all flying schools to put together a plan to tackle document-fudging. It has decided to computerise the process of examination and documentation of the licensing process.