Section K

 

Commercial Pilot’s Licence (Helicopters)

1. Requirements for issue of licenceAn applicant for a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (Helicopters) shall satisfy the following requirements :

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

                        (b) Educational Qualification— He shall have passed class ten plus two with Physics and Mathematics or its equivalent examination from a recognized Board/University.

                        (c) Medical Fitness— He shall produce on a prescribed proforma a certificate of physical fitness from an approved Medical Board 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 a written examination in Air Regulations, Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology and Aircraft and Engines and Signals (practical) examination for interpretation of aural and visual signals as per the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General:

                        Provided that an applicant in possession of a current Commercial Pilot’s Licence (Aeroplanes) or higher category of a pilot’s licence shall be required to pass an examination in Aircraft and Engines only.

                        (e) Experience— He shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed as pilot of helicopter or helicopters not less than one hundred and fifty hours of flight time, which shall include—

                        (i) not less that fifty hours of flight time as Pilot-in-Command of a helicopter;

                        (ii) not less than ten hours of cross-country flight time as Pilot-in-Command of a helicopter;

                        (iii) not less than ten hours of flight time as Pilot-in-Command of a helicopter within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for licence; out of which not less than five hours of flight time by night which shall include not less than ten take-offs and ten landing patterns by night:

                        (iv) not less than ten hours of instrument instruction time of which not less than five hours may be instrument ground time;

                         

                        Provided that a person who is holder of a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (Aeroplanes) or an Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence (Aeroplanes) shall be required to complete on a helicopter not less than eighty hours of flight time including not less than twenty hours of flight time as Pilot-in-Command which shall include not less than five hours of cross country time, and not less than five hours of flight time by night with not less than ten take offs and ten landing patterns within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for licence.

                         

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

                         

                        (g) Other Requirements— He shall be in possession of a current Flight Radio Telephone Operator’s Licence for operation of radio telephone apparatus on board an aircraft issued by the Director-General.

                         

                        (h) Skill— He shall have demonstrated his competency to perform the procedures and manoeuvres prescribed in the syllabus by day and night to the satisfaction of an approved Examiner, on the type of helicopter to which the application for 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 may 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 five hours of flight time as Pilot-in- Command (fifty percent of the flight time as Co-Pilot may be counted towards the requirements of flight time as Pilot-in-Command) of a helicopter within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for renewal, or in lieu thereof having satisfactorily completed the flying tests as laid down in para 1(h) within the same period.

 

(c) Having a current Flight Radio Telephone Operator’s Licence for operation of radio telephone apparatus on board an aircraft issued by the Director-General.

 

4. Ratings— (a) Aircraft Rating— The licence shall indicate the class and types of helicopters the holder is entitled to fly. An open rating for all single engine piston type of helicopters having an all-up-weight not exceeding one thousand five hundred Kgs. may also be granted if he has completed not less than one thousand hours of flight time including not less than two hundred hours as Pilot-in-Command on helicopters and has at least four different types of helicopters entered in the aircraft rating of his licence.

 

(b) Instructor’s Rating— Instructor’s rating entitles the holder to impart flying instructions on types of helicopters entered in the aircraft rating of his licence. The privileges and conditions for the issue of these ratings are laid down in Section Q and R of this schedule.

 

(c) Instrument Rating— Instrument rating entitles the holder to fly under the Instrument Flight Rules. Conditions for issue of the rating are laid down in Section P of this schedule.

 

5. Extension of Aircraft Rating— For extension of aircraft rating to include an additional type of helicopter, an applicant shall have passed a written examination in Aircraft and Engines as mentioned in clause (d) of paragraph 1 and shall have acquired, under appropriate supervision, experience in flying the aircraft of such type or on approved flight simulator in accordance with the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General followed by skill test as laid down by the Director-General.

 

5A.Proficiency Check―

 

 

(a) In order to act as a pilot-in-command or co-pilot on transport helicopters, the licence holder shall be required to undergo an appropriate proficiency check as specified by the Director-General, in respect of the type of helicopter to be flown.

 

(b) The proficiency check carried out as per para (a) shall be valid for a period of six months from the date of the check and shall be renewed for a further period of six months at a time.

 

(c) In the case of renewal, the period of validity shall commence from the date of expiry of the previous validity provided that the check has been carried out within two months preceding the date of expiry.

 

6. Privileges— Subject to the validity of endorsements and ratings in the licence and compliance with the relevant provisions of Rule 39B, Rule 39C and Rule 42 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, the privileges of the holder of a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (Helicopters) shall be—

 

(i) to exercise all the privileges of Private Pilot’s Licence (Helicopters);

 

(ii) to act as pilot-in-command of any helicopter engaged in operations other than commercial air transportation;

 

(iii) to act as pilot-in-command in commercial air transportation in any helicopter certified for single-pilot operation; and

(iv) to act as co-pilot in commercial air transportation in any helicopters required to be operated with a co-pilot.

Provided that when passengers are to be carried at night he shall have carried out within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of intended flight not less than five take-offs and five landing patterns and one route check to the satisfaction of an Examiner by night as Pilot-in-Command of a helicopter:

Provided further that for all flights under the Instrument Flight Rules as Pilot-in-Command or as Co-Pilot he shall be required to have current Instrument Rating:

Provided also that on attainment of the age of sixty-five years, such privileges shall be restricted to that of Private Pilot’s Licence (Helicopters).

 

[Amended by (i) G.S.R No. 307(E) dated 24th May, 2006

(ii) G. S. R. No. 11(E) dated 10th January 2011

(iii) G. S. R. No. 487(E) dated 21st June 2012

(iv) G.S.R. No. 399(E) dated 31st March 2016

(v) G.S.R No. 1066(E) dated 25-10-2018]