Section I
Pilot’s Licence (Gliders)

1. Requirements for the Issue of Licence— An application for the issue of Pilot’s Licence Gliders shall satisfy the following requirements :—

(a) Age— He shall be not less than sixteen years of age on the date of application.

(b) Educational Qualification— He shall have passed Class Ten or equivalent Examination from a recognised Board.

(c) Medical Fitness— He shall produce on a prescribed proforma a certificate of physical fitness from an approved medical practitioner after undergoing a medical examination, during which he shall have established his medical fitness on the basis of compliance with the requirements as notified by the Director-General under rule 39B.

(d) Knowledge— He shall pass an oral examination in Air Regulations, Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology and Aircraft & Instruments, and engines in case of motor gliders, as per the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General :

Provided that an applicant in possession of a valid Pilot’s Licence Balloons/microlight Aircraft, Private pilot’s Licence (Aeroplanes/Helicopters) or a higher category of Pilot’s Licence shall pass an oral test in Aircraft and Instruments.

(e) Experience— He shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed as Pilot of a Glider —

(i) not less than ten hours of flight time of which not less than five hours shall be solo flight time; and

(ii) not less than seventy five take-offs and landings of which not less than twenty five solo take-offs and landings shall have been completed within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for licence.

(f) Flying Training— He shall have completed the gliding training in accordance with the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General.

(g) Skill— He shall have demonstrated his competency as Pilot-in-Command of a Glider, the procedures and maneuvers prescribed in the syllabus to the satisfaction of the Examiner, on the type of glider to which the application for the licence relates within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application.

2. Validity — The licence shall be valid for a period as specified in Rule 39C.

3. Renewal— The licence shall be renewed on receipt of satisfactory evidence of the applicant—

(a) having undergone a medical examination in accordance with para 1(c);

(b) having satisfactorily completed not less than three hours of flight time or twenty take-offs and landings as Pilot-in-Command of a Glider within a period of six months preceding the date of application for renewal or in lieu thereof; having satisfactorily completed the flying tests in accordance with para-1(g) within period of six months immediately preceding the date of application.

4. Ratings— (a) Aircraft Rating— The licence shall indicate the type of gliders the holder is entitled to fly.

(i) An open rating to fly all gliders having an all-up-weight not exceeding six hundred kilograms may also be granted if a pilot has satisfactorily completed not less than fifty hours of flight time as Pilot-in-Command in free flight including not less than two hundred take-offs and landings as solo manipulator of controls :

Provided that the privileges of open rating shall be exercised only after having undergone familiarisation flights with Flight Instructor (Glider) or with an approved Examiner or having been thoroughly briefed by an approved Examiner or an Instructor in case of single seater glider and a certificate to that effect recorded by the Examiner/Instructor in the Pilot’s log book, before releasing the pilot for flight.

(b) Aero-Tow Rating— Aero-tow Rating entitles the holder to carry passengers in gliders in aero-tow flights. An Aero-tow Rating may be given if a glider pilot has satisfactorily completed in a glider not less than ten aero-tow flights of a total duration of not less than two hours as pilot of a glider :

Provided that no solo aero-tow flights are undertaken, unless atleast five dual aero-tow flights have been carried out with a qualified Instructor on board and a satisfactory report to that effect recorded by the Instructor in the pilot’s log book before the aero-tow flights are undertaken.

(c) Glider Towing Requirements— No person shall act as Pilot-in-Command of an aircraft towing a glider unless he meets the following requirements :

(i) he holds a valid pilot’s licence (other than a Student Pilot’s Licence);

(ii) he has an endorsement in his Pilot log book from a person authorised to give instruction in glider towing and is familiar with the techniques and procedures essential to the safe towing of gliders, including airspeed limitations, emergency procedures, signals used and maximum angles of bank;

(iii) he has made and entered in his Pilot's log book at least three flights as sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft towing a glider under the supervision of a pilot who meets the requirements of this clause and has carried out at least ten flights as ‘Pilot-in-Command’ of an aircraft towing a glider;

(iv) If he holds only a Private Pilot’s Licence (Aeroplanes), he shall have not less than one hundred hours of flight time as Pilot-in-Command.

(d) Motor Glider Rating— Motor Glider Rating entitles the holder to carry passengers in a self launching motor glider. A motor glider rating may be given if the holder of a valid pilot’s Licence Glider produces evidence of :

(i) having passed an oral examination in engines;

(ii) having satisfactorily completed as pilot of self-launching Motor glider not less than forty take-offs and landings, out of which not less than ten take-offs and landings shall have been completed as Pilot-in- Command;

(iii) having thoroughly familiarised himself with the flight controls, speed profiles, systems, engines and limitations of the aircraft with an approved Examiner/Glider Instructor and a certificate to that effect recorded by Instructor/Examiner in the Pilot’s log book.

5. Extension of Aircraft Rating— For extension of Aircraft Rating to include an additional type of Glider, the applicant shall be required to produce evidence of :—

(i) having passed an oral examination in aircraft and instruments and engines in case of motor gliders, as mentioned in para 1(d) :

(ii) having satisfactorily completed the flying tests in accordance with para-1(g) on the type of glider to which the application relates within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for extension of the aircraft rating; and

(iii) having satisfactorily carried out not less than three take-offs and landings as Pilot-in-command as sole manipulator of controls.

6. Privileges— Subject to the validity of the aircraft ratings in the licence and compliance with the relevant provisions of Rules 39B, 39C and 42 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, the privileges of the holder of Pilots Licence Gliders shall be to act, as Pilot-in-Command off any glider which is entered in the Aircraft Rating of the licence and to carry passengers therein under the Visual Flight Rules.

Note— 1. The privileges granted under this section shall be exercised only when the method of launching is any one of the following:— Winch-launching, Auto-launching, or Launching by aero-tow.

2. If any unconventional method of launching such as rockets, catapults, etc. is adopted, the privileges to fly in command and to carry passengers shall be exercised only after he has completed an approved course of training and a flying test to the satisfaction of the Director-General.