Seaplanes are here but who will fly them?

KOCHI: Aviation companies waiting in the wings to launch seaplane services in Kerala are scouting for pilots across South Asia for want of commanders trained in amphibian operations in the country.

The aviation companies will have to source pilots initially from Maldives and Mauritius. They will be recruited in advance to familiarize them with the weather and the condition of water bodies.

These foreign pilots will then serve as instructors and equip Indian crew to handle the task, aviation experts told TOI.

"We will be getting a pilot along with the seaplane we are bringing from Dubai. But we have already shortlisted three Indian captains, who will be trained in Canada first and then allowed to gain flying experience in the country. They will fly with the foreign instructor as co-pilots during the training period," said Col. Sasikumar of Kairali Aviation.

"It is the dream of any pilot to engage in adventure flights like seaplane operations, and I'm lucky to have been selected for this," said Captain Karan, one of the three pilots shortlisted by Kairali Aviation for seaplane training.

"There has to be advance planning to get seaplane pilots - even if you get captains from abroad it will be tough to get DGCA clearance as the regulator will insist on high levels of experience and familiarity with local conditions," said an official of Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt. Ltd. (MEHAIR), operating seaplanes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands since 2011.

"Some of the foreign captains whom we had recruited left the assignment after finding it tough to cope with Indian conditions. We got two Indian pilots trained later," he said.

MEHAIR will start seaplane operations in Kerala post-monsoon and the process of getting clearance for the crew is already on.

The pay package of seaplane pilots is also quite high, almost at the same level as that of regular aircraft pilots. The monthly salary is around Rs 5 lakh. Other perks include accommodation, food and transport.

"It makes the operational cost higher as the expense/flight is divided among five or six passengers unlike 100-odd travelling onboard a regular flight," said a MEHAIR official.

Source:  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com