DGCA to streamline norms for appointing and retaining pilot examiners

DGCA has proposed tighter experience norms and refresher training for pilot examiners, while easing age limits, tenure rules and monitoring requirements

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed a more standardised framework for the appointment and retention of pilot examiners by tightening experience and eligibility criteria while removing other procedural requirements.

 

The examiners are senior pilots who are authorised to test pilots on aircraft and simulators.

 

In a draft shared with aviation stakeholders this month, the DGCA has tightened rules for the reappointment of these designated examiners (DEs).

 

Currently, a pilot needs to have served as a DE within the previous five years to get re-appointed.

 

Under the new proposal, candidates must have at least 12 months of examiner experience in the last seven years with the same or any other airline. This move raises the minimum experience requirement while slightly expanding the reference period.

 

The regulator has proposed tighter norms for foreign pilots seeking appointment as DEs. Here, it requires three continuous years of experience training and checking pilots on a specific aircraft type (as a training or type rating examiner, TRE).

 

Currently, foreign pilots need just two years of TRE experience within the last three years.

 

The draft proposes stricter oversight for DEs and synthetic flight examiners (SFEs), linking their approval to annual "refresher" training. This is a yearly course to keep examiners up to date on assessment standards, licensing requirements, and current regulations. 

 

SFEs are senior pilots who test others only on flight simulators.

 

Under the current rules, refresher training was only implied for DEs and SFEs, and they could continue their appointment without completing a formal yearly course.

 

The new proposal makes it explicit that a DE or SFE’s appointment would cease to be valid if more than 12 months have passed since they completed the DGCA refresher course. 

 

The DGCA has sought public comments on the draft until February 20.

 

In its draft, the regulator has also introduced select relaxations to ease operational constraints.

 

The upper age limit for SFEs has been increased from 70 to 75 years, allowing experienced personnel to remain active longer. 

 

Moreover, in the draft, the tenure of appointments for both DEs and SFEs has been extended from five years to seven years, reducing the frequency of renewals.

 

In another easing of procedure, approved training organisations (ATOs) that do not have in-house SFEs will be allowed to use simulator examiners from airlines, subject to mutual agreement.

 

Currently, nominated DEs — DEs chosen by an airline or flying school to test its pilots — must be monitored by DGCA inspectors during every check to ensure safety and compliance.

 

The draft proposes removing this routine monitoring, allowing nominated DEs to conduct tests without an inspector present.