Tuesday, December 27 2005 19:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: With the Government warning private carriers to train pilots and equip their planes to operate in fog, experts today (Dec 27, 2005) sought upgradation of aviation rules by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by drawing lessons from aviation authorities in the US and other regions to take advantage of modern technologies installed in new generation aircraft.

Besides the cost component in training pilots, the prevailing Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), which are rules set by DGCA guiding all aviation-related activities, would imply that the new and upcoming airlines would take at least three to four years to be authorised to operate CAT-III B, aviation experts said.

Observing that the current rules made it mandatory not only for the pilots but also the operator or the airlines to be CAT-III-worthy, they said the Indian (erstwhile Indian Airlines), with all its paraphernalia and equipment, took as long as five-six years not only to train pilots but to get the mandatory clearances and authorisations under the CARs to operate in CAT-III A or B. Indian now has 90 pilots trained to operate in CAT-III B conditions.

They said the DGCA made the rules for airlines to operate in foggy conditions based on those of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the US, much before the new generation aircraft came into place.

Though the FAA and other aviation authorities have changed their guidelines and rules after the new generation aircraft with sophisticated technology like the 'Fail Passive Landing System', the DGCA continued with the same old CARs, the experts said.