By Prateek Sharma in NEW DELHI: Nine remote pilot training organisations had been established by enterprises owned by the government or the commercial sector, as of December 31, 2021.
After successfully completing instruction from an authorised remote pilot training organisation, any person between the ages of 18 and 65 with a class tenth certificate from a recognised board can get a remote pilot licence.
Students who graduate from drone colleges can search for jobs in drone operations, maintenance, design, manufacturing, and data analytics, among other fields, depending on the courses they successfully finished.
An authorised remote pilot training organisation may collaborate with foreign entities while adhering to the conditions stipulated by the Director General of Civil Aviation in terms of training syllabus, infrastructure, instructors, equipment, and infrastructure, among other things.
As per Drone Rules, 2021, any person who intends to obtain the authorisation to establish a Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) shall submit an application to the Director General of Civil Aviation in Form D5 on the Digital Sky Platform, along with the specified fees.
Meanwhile, The government has made many initiatives to solve the country’s pilot shortage. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a liberalised Flying Training Organization (FTO) policy in which the idea of airport royalty (revenue sharing payment by FTOs to AAI) has been eliminated and land rentals have been greatly rationalised.
Nine flying training organisations (FTOs) will be formed at five airports: two in Belagavi (Karnataka), two in Jalgaon (Maharashtra), two in Kalaburagi (Karnataka), two in Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), and one in Lilabari (Karnataka) (Assam).
With effect from November 2021, the DGCA has implemented an Online-On-Demand Examination (OLODE) for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) and Flying Crew (FC) applicants. Candidates can select a date and time from the available exam slots using this feature.
The DGCA has amended its regulations to provide Flying Instructors the authority to authorise flight operations at FTOs. Previously, this was only available to Chief Flying Instructors (CFIs) or Deputy CFIs.
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (IGRUA) in Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) has been granted permission to conduct pilot training in Gondia (Maharashtra) and Kalaburagi (Karnataka) to increase flying hours and aircraft utilisation, which are severely impacted during the winter months due to low visibility.
IGRUA has begun operating on weekends and holidays. It flew 19,019 hours in 2021, compared to 15,137 hours in the pre-Covid year 2019, representing a more than 25% increase.
State-wise list of remote pilot training organisations
| S No | State | Name of the remote pilot training organisation |
| 1 | Jharkhand | Alchemist Aviation Pvt. Ltd. |
| 2 | Maharashtra | Redbird Flight Training Academy Pvt. Ltd. |
| 3 | Maharashtra | The Bombay Flying Club |
| 4 | Tamil Nadu | CASR Anna University |
| 5 | Telangana | Flytech Aviation Academy |
| 6 | Telangana | Telangana State Aviation Academy |
| 7 | Uttar Pradesh | Ambitions Flying Club Pvt. Ltd. |
| 8 | Uttar Pradesh | Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademy |
| 9 | Uttar Pradesh | Pioneer Flying Academy Pvt. Ltd. |