In the wake of two occurrences that prompted safety apprehensions regarding emergency landings in October of the previous year, the Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a flight operations prohibition on Redbird Flight Training Academy across all its national bases. Nevertheless, as of Tuesday, the Academy officially declared its resurgence and recommenced its operational activities.
Redbird Flight Training expressed considerable pride in the announcement, stating, “We, at Redbird Flight Training, take great satisfaction in declaring the successful completion of our maintenance approval recertification process and the recommencement of our flying training operations.”
However, WhatsApp conversations obtained by ETV Bharat reveal that numerous students seeking evidence of the operational resumption were either left unanswered or removed from Redbird’s official WhatsApp group.
In an interview with ETV Bharat, an anonymous trainee pilot enrolled at Red Bird conveyed, “Upon receiving notification about the resumption of operations, our excitement was palpable after a four-month wait. Yet, confusion arose concerning the official communication, as several students requested it from the DGCA via the WhatsApp group, only to be ousted by the group admin.”
Another undisclosed student characterized the situation as a form of intimidation, stating, “All we are seeking is a legitimate piece of evidence. The situation is intricate, and we hope for its resolution soon.” ETV Bharat gained access to the DGCA’s letter sent to Redbird on February 20, revealing that only the ‘Baramati’ base has been granted flying permission.
The letter specified, “Proficiency checks for Assistant Flight Instructors and Flight Instructors lacking authorization privileges will be overseen by Captain Ayush Agnihotri and Captain Vikram Gupta. They will undergo assessments for license validity, recency requirements, and standardization checks.”
All reports from these proficiency checks are to be promptly submitted to this office, as mentioned in the letter. Captain Agnihotri and Captain Gupta may instruct and conduct skill assessments for trainee pilots. The training is restricted to aircraft cleared by DAW (WR), DGCA, and must comply with the directives outlined in the DGCA letter dated February 12, which imposed conditions regarding the use of aircraft fueled by Indian MOGAS.”
It is noteworthy that Redbird operates bases in Baramati in Pune district, Lilabari in Assam, Gulbarga and Belgaum in Karnataka, Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, and Colombo in Sri Lanka.
