FLIGHT CREW LICENCING 
CIRCULAR NO. 1 OF 2000

             Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 7, Series ‘C’, Part I dated 26^th August, 1999 provides in para 2 that an applicant for grant/renewal of a flight crew licence/rating shall hold a valid medical assessment issued by the DGCA in accordance with the International Standards and Recommended Practices as contained in ICAO Annex 1, Chapter 6 and the Medical Requirements laid down by the DGCA.  Para 1.2.4.8 of Annex 1, however, permits in special circumstances an individual with  medical condition(s) to exercise the privileges of his/her licence even when he/she fails to meet the required medical standards.  In this way, pilots who otherwise due to their medical condition would have been grounded, can be retained in a restricted flying status.

2.       Air Crew Medical Boarding Centres impose one of the following restrictions on the medical certificate of fitness issued by them, depending upon the medical conditions of the pilots observed by them:

      i)        ‘Fit to fly as Co-Pilot only’

     ii)       ‘Fit to fly as Pilot-in-Command along with a qualified
                experienced pilot’.

 3.       Where the medical certificate of fitness issued by a Medical Boarding Centre or the medical assessment issued by DGCA carries the restriction as mentioned in para 2 (ii) above, the term “experienced pilot” will mean a pilot who:

a)       has no restrictions due to medical conditions;

b)      has a current Pilot-in-Command rating on type of aircraft;  

                         or

          a co-pilot meeting the following criteria:

               i)        has a minimum of 250 hours of experience on type
                         and currently flying the type of the aircraft;

              ii)       has not been held blameworthy for any incident on
                        type during the preceding two years for his/her proficiency
                        in operating that type;

              iii)      has not been held blameworthy for any accident on
                        any aircraft for his/her proficiency in operating  an aircraft 
                        in the preceding five years;

              iv)      has not shown ‘Below Standard’ performance
                        during proficiency check and/or instrument rating check
                        during preceeding two years; and

               v)      has a suitability certificate issued after suitability check
                        on aircraft/simulator, by an examiner on type indicating that
                        the co-pilot is fit for handling the aircraft, especially
                        during  take-off/ and landing.

4.         The provisions of this Licensing Circular will be applicable with immediate effect.

Sd/-
(Satendra Singh)
Joint Director General