A Word from Editor

In an action that has come as somewhat of a pleasant surprise for the Indian civil aviation community especially civil pilots with high experience levels, but not current with flying and wish to obtain a civil pilot’s licence. DGCA has introduced a significant relaxation in the preconditions for experienced pilots for obtaining a civil flying licence. The amendment to the rule pertains to removal of the recency clause that demanded from the applicant, a flying experience of 150 hours for fixed-wing aircraft and 100 hours for helicopters in the preceding 12 months from the date of applying for a civil pilot’s licence. This requirement has now been watered down to 20 hours of flying logged in the preceding 12 months. V.K. Verma who till recently was heading the prestigious Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy has a detailed report in this issue of SP’s AirBuz on this welcome move by the DGCA.

On January 25, 2020, the new Boeing 777X entered the next phase of its rigorous test program as it took-off for a 3-hour, 51-minute flight before landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field. Based on the most successful twin-aisle airplane ever, the Boeing 777, and with advanced technologies from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 777X will be the largest and most fuel efficient twin-engine jet in the world, with an exceptional passenger experience and is expected to deliver in 2021. In the lead story inside, Ayushee Chaudhary covers this successful first flight of the new Boeing 777X.

For the global aerospace industry, emission of Greenhouse Gases from aircraft engines has become an area of major concern that is being addressed through innovations in technologies in the development of power plants with much lower emissions. A detailed review by Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd) on how this problem is being tackled in the next generation of aircraft engines, is included in this issue of SP’s AirBuz. In a related article in this issue of the magazine, Ayushee Chaudhary carries out a detailed review of the regional turboprop engine family of PW100, amongst the most successful product of Pratt and Whitney, one of the leading manufacturers in the world of aircraft engines.

Writing from Goa, Joseph Noronha catalogues the leading carriers in the world based on international awards conferred on them. It would be of interest to observe that the five best airlines in the world hail from Asia and the Middle East. It is indeed a matter of concern that no Indian carrier comes anywhere close to the top ranking airlines in the world. Clearly, this needs to be taken as a wakeup call by the Indian airline industry.

On January 27 this year, the Government invited bids for 100 per cent stake sale Air India and transfer of management control along with its complete share in two subsidiaries-low-cost international carriers Air India Express and ground-handling arm AISATS. A detailed write up on the subject by Ayushee Chaudhary of SP Guide Publications figures in this issue of the magazine.

All this and more in this issue of SP’s AirBuz. Welcome aboard and wish you many happy landings!

Jai Hind!