The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has established a three-member committee to examine complaints regarding alleged out-of-syllabus questions in the Radio Telephony Restricted (RTR) examination conducted on May 20. This move has revived a long-running debate within the Indian aviation industry over how pilots are tested for radio communication proficiency.
Committee Formation and Mandate
According to a DGCA order dated May 21, the committee comprises three senior DGCA officials and has been instructed to submit its report within a week. The RTR examination, formally known as the Radio Telephony Restricted (Aeronautical) certification exam, is mandatory for pilots and assesses radio communication skills and standard phraseology used between pilots and air traffic controllers.
Historical Context and Criticism
For years, senior pilots and pilot bodies have campaigned for changes in the RTR examination system. The primary criticism was that the test was conducted by officials from the Department of Telecommunications' Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing, who lack operational flying experience. Following consistent protests from the pilots' fraternity, the DGCA took over the responsibility of conducting these tests in 2024.
Captain Manoj Hathi, former director (operations) of Air India, expressed skepticism about the change, stating, "It's old wine in a new bottle. The concerns over the RTR examination process had first been formally raised in 2018 after complaints about alleged malpractices and irrelevant questioning patterns."
Critique of the New Panel
Captain Hathi criticized the composition of the newly formed DGCA panel, noting that none of its members are pilots. He emphasized that internationally, such proficiency tests are generally conducted by qualified flight instructors or domain experts, and most countries follow a simplified version based on ICAO Doc 4444 for pilot examinations. He also recalled that in 2023, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) had alleged in a representation to the government that examiners often used their discretion to examine candidates on irrelevant topics unrelated to the core subject.
