What is DGCA Certificate?
DGCA or the Director General of Civil Aviation is the department in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt of India which is responsible for maintaining air safety and airworthiness of the aircraft with the involvement of the certified technical manpower. To achieve this, the DGCA issues advisories and series of guidelines called the Civil Aviation Requirements or CAR 147 which are to be followed by the each and every approved Maintenance Training Organisation conducting aircraft maintenance personnel training in the aviation sector operating within the Indian subcontinent.
For the grant of DGCA Certificate for aircraft maintenance license as a certified staff, DGCA regulatory requirements stipulates mandatory coverage of training duration as per applied Category and passing every module examination conducted by the Central Examination Office of the DGCA. After meeting the above requirements, an aspirant becomes eligible to apply for the DGCA Certificate or License Without Type Rating (LWTR). With this DGCA Certificate or Basic Aircraft Maintenance License, a candidate gets privilege to work as Technician till he/she acquires requisite maintenance experience to meet eligibility criteria for applying Aircraft Maintenance License in the relevant category.
What is EASA Certificate?
EASA or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency is the prime agency which functions under the European Commission and is governed by the European Parliament. Its nodal function is to carry out aircraft certification, maintain air safety and draft regulations for keeping the skies safer. An EASA Certification is the most reputed and acceptable globally. Every civil aviation authority globally, accepts and welcomes EASA certifications and follows their drafted regulatory guidelines to keep abreast with the latest advancements in the aviation equipments manufacturing, certification procedures, operation and training standards
An EASA approved Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO) is also known as a Part-147 organisation. The privileges of the Part-147 organisation includes conducting basic training and examination following the compliance of the EASA regulations and issuing EASA Certificate of Recognition post accomplishment of training and examination standards. An EASA approved MTO is expected to exhibit high standards of training and quality as on the basis of this EASA Certificate, an Aircraft Maintenance License is issued by the European Union National Aviation Authority (EUNAA).
Why should you study in the Certified college?
Studying in the certified colleges gives one privilege to attend customized and tailored training program which benefits the aspirants to enter the different gateways of the aviation sector. The Certified colleges are approved as per offered training programs in the different field of aviation like for aircraft maintenance, pilot or drone training, air traffic control, cabin crew and ramp safety.
The colleges approved by the DGCA must demonstrate the facility and personnel requirements as per the appropriate regulatory guidelines. This includes the infrastructure and training programs with duration & syllabus adopted for the accomplishment of the offered courses. The list of DGCA approved colleges in India is given in their official website www.dgca.gov.in. An aspirant may directly verify the approval status with validity and scope of approval of the institution and the offered training programs through it.
Benefits of studying in Certified colleges?
A candidate having covered the basic training curriculum in the aircraft maintenance is the most suitable and sought after in the aviation industry. The training programs offered by the certified colleges are approved by the aviation competent agencies like the DGCA or EASA. The training curriculum is meant to enhance skill, knowledge and attitude levels in the candidate so that they become the most useful asset for the airline operation.
The advantages associated with the studying in the Certified or approved colleges are:
- Less Duration: A candidate having covered his/her basic training from these colleges need to have only 2 years of Aircraft Maintenance Experience after their 2 years of basic training compared to any other Engineering or Diploma candidate who need to have a minimum of 5 years maintenance experience after completion of their 4 years degree program. Hence a candidate having attended basic training needs minimum 4 years duration to apply for an Aircraft Maintenance License where as a graduate engineer or diploma holder needs at least 9 to 10 years to do so.
- Acceptance: The candidate attends the customized training program which is devised as per the DGCA or EASA guidelines. These programs are meant to develop their knowledge related to aircraft structure, systems and aerodynamics which are the prime requirements of an Airline or an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation. This gives them privilege over the other graduates as first preference.
- High Return on Investment: Compared to any technical curriculum, the Aircraft Maintenance Course is more viable. The short duration training programs are economical and hold high return on investment as the salary slab of a licensed certifying staff is highest when it comes to any salaried occupation or services globally.
How it helps to get placement?
When the Airlines or Aircraft Maintenance Organisations open gateways for staff hiring, they look for the most suitable candidates which meets their needs with respect to position in Maintenance Control Centre, Planning, Quality Control, Technical Documentation, Line & Base Maintenance, Ramp Operations, Stores and Spares Procurement.
Candidates from these certified colleges are most sought after due to their skill and knowledge training levels compared to any other engineering graduate, who do not address all the above topics within their approved training syllabus. For example, an Aeronautical Engineering graduate attends only basics of aircraft design but not its system and maintenance procedures. This gives a candidate from the DGCA or EASA approved Maintenance Training Organisation an upper edge over them, who has attended all the topics associated with the aircraft structure, systems and aerodynamics as mentioned in the syllabus approved with being in synchronization with regulatory guidelines issued by the DGCA or EASA.