Amethi captain by his side, Rahul meets Praful to raise pilot issues

Patel promptly directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IGRUA to identify leading flying clubs in the West and visit them. These visits would be followed by detailed reports that could form the basis of initiating upgradation of standards at IGRUA.

The idea, said officials, is to ensure that the syllabi and training methods followed by IGRUA conforms with those followed worldwide. This will also help market the academy better and attract more foreign students in due course. ‘‘Basically, we want to bring IGRUA at par with the best in the world,’’ said Patel after the meeting.

Taking note of the general concern voiced over the shortage of pilots, the Ministry has asked DGCA to consider increasing the retirement age of pilots by a year, to 61.

In the same context, the Ministry has also asked IGRUA to come up with ways to reduce the duration of the course for obtaining a commercial pilot licence. Official sources said facilities and staff would be expanded accordingly to ensure that the academy can produce more pilots to meet the rising demand.

Further, Sharma urged Patel to revive the activities of the DFC that have been curtailed following security restrictions which came into force after 9/11. It’s understood that the club now proposes to carry out its flying from the Hindon Air Force base, but wants the Ministry to intervene in getting the requisite clearances.

The DFC apparently proposes to fly its planes out of Safdarjung Airport to Hindon, where the training can be conducted. The aircraft could then return to their hangars in Safdarjung.

Sources said the club has sought the Ministry’s help to obtain security clearances from the Home Ministry for its Safdarjung-Hindon flights.