Trainer aircraft land at Kannur

Thiruvananthapuram: After an interval of more than three years, Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology resumed operating cross-country flight. The academy operated two cross-country flights to Kannur International Airport Ltd (Kial) on Sunday.

Chief flying instructor (CFI) Captain N Mallikarjun and assistant flying instructor Captain Sreenath A M led the duel flight operation, along with trainees Rahul R and Mukhil Ram TS, both commercial pilot licence trainees at the academy from 2013 and 2012 batches, respectively. They operated two Cessna 172R aircraft, one of which departed at 8.10am and another at 8.25am to reach Kannur around 11am.

Consequent to the termination of the then CFI, the academy stopped flying training in 2016. Earlier, it used to operate cross-country flights to Madurai, Mangaluru and Kozhikode airports. Though a new CFI was appointed the same year, flying training could not be resumed as approval was pending with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

After the completion of the process of recertification, the DGCA issued approval on March 23, 2017 and flying training activities were restarted and continued till the onset of monsoons in June, 2017. But, in June 16, 2017 the civil aviation secretary had withdrawn the privileges of the appointed CFI and flying training was stopped again. After Mallikarjun took charge as CFI, flying training resumed in October.

“The trainees were selected based on their progress in flying training after two months of training. We consulted the managing director of Kannur airport, V Thulasidas, who is also the executive vice chairman of the academy. He extended all support,” said R L Gopakumar, secretary, Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology.

As an extension of its activities, the academy also plans to set a base at Kannur, with three to five day training per week. tnn