India is poised to be the third largest aviation market in coming decade. Even with disruption like covid pandemic, strength of our domestic demand kept most airlines afloat. By all estimates, the market is going to grow positively from this point, very likely exponentially. This growth will fuel a demand for trained professionals. The critical need will be for the jobs which require specialised experience to be working in position of responsibility, namely our pilots and engineers.
As the airlines have grown at a faster rate, the time it takes to transition from First Officer to Captain and further to trainer has reduced. But the standards needed to be in these roles cannot be compromised, hence FOs have had to learn same content within a shorter duration. Airlines have managed to provide required positive learning environment by following best practices from around the world. Current airline learning environment has been highly dynamic, constantly evolving to match the requirements, and so is their recruitment standards. The kind of candidates who could cope up with such dynamic progress have to be assessed thoroughly. Over the years things like psychometric tests have become part of induction process. The better prepared recruits at early stages of training make the operations safer. For this, we need to look at where they come from.
Before they begin their airline journey, aspirants have to get their Commercial Pilot License (CPL) from any Flying Training Organisation (FTO), sometimes called flying school or flying club. They can do it in any country as long as they complete the required syllabus designed by DGCA. When we talk about FTOs in India, the title of premier institution has belonged to one place for some time, that is Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (IGRUA). It has been at the forefront of pilot’s training in India since the day of its foundation. Its training standards are considered hallmark for every FTO in the region, its infrastructure and resources could be considered one of the best in the world, and its legacy is undisputed, thanks to long line of leaders it has produced. For these very reasons, IGRUA is the best candidate to lead the training evolution at grass root level.
Why we need such evolution in first place is because we are going to need visionary leaders to guide Indian Aviation towards a bright future. Leaders flourish when responsibility and accountability are empowered with right support and guidance. Educational institutions are the best forum for open discussions on industries, and open discourses breed innovation needed for growth. All over the world, outlier specialised institutions have been the lynchpin of progress in their respective sector and country. Be it IITs for technology in India, which contributes to its largest export sector, or Wageningen university for agricultural in Netherland, which has made them biggest net food exporter. IGRUA has potential to become such institution of change for Indian Aviation. For that, IGRUA will need to evolve itself first.
A vision would be required for IGRUA, with a roadmap for coming years. The changes required would need a proactive approach towards training program, modify it in line with times. Tenets of Crew Resource Management should be taught and applied from day one. Towards the end, they should go through line oriented flying training with UPRT being part of training. Concepts of Airline operations and Safety management systems should be part of curriculum. An active feedback based training program will be suitable, and for that, cadets need to be trained on self assessment. Evidence Based Training should be the mantra for it.
IGRUA then should go about creating formal flying training standards on which FTOs could be assessed. Design a LOSA like program for flying training, as well as criterion for grading flying schools apart from DGCA FTD audits. IGRUA can become a research test bed of best practices for DGCA and other CAA for various purposes. An official oversight committee could be formed for auditing and assessing new flying training standards. Then the educational material and dynamic curriculum for flying training could be created in conjunction, available for all.
Further, IGRUA could go about creating an outreach program and open forums. In short, host and attend seminars, become part of a global FTO community, as well as become active in domestic aviation communities to a greater effect. In this age of connected world, a lot of this can be achieved through internet. For this, IGRUA will need to expand its online presence. It could start with a journal, a blog or wiki of some sort. Articles would be contributed from industry experts, former IGRUAns, as well as from staff and students currently in IGRUA. Other multimedia platforms like YouTube and podcasts could be used for various purposes, ranging from hosting webinars to disseminating information.
Slowly and steadily, most of educational material could be collated and provided from a combined source. We wouldn’t have to depend on foreign publications for our studies, both for traditional and current topics. IGRUA could become hub for open source knowledge, getting into offering MOOCs on various subjects which may not be offered in smaller FTOs.
Endgame of this roadmap is to create a Learned Society out of the community centred around IGRUA by above approach, which would then be contributing to growth of aviation in India not just by supplying good CPL holders, but by providing expertise in policies for the industry. Advantages associated with IGRUA are a huge number of Alumni who could co-operate for common good, sharing campus with first purpose-made aviation university of India, and being a body directly under MoCA, which gives it capacity to be an Institute of National importance.
Think It Yourself 