Bengaluru: Three years after it slipped into limbo after its licence lapsed, the century-old Government Flying Training School (GFTS) at Jakkur, Bengaluru, has received approval from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to resume training.Since the licence expired nearly three years ago, DGCA treated GFTS’s application as a fresh case and subjected the institution to exhaustive reassessments and aviation regulations. Thanks to this scrutiny, the school took long-pending corrective steps.The most crucial is the runway’s length, which increased from 612 metres to 754m. For decades, GFTS had officially declared 612m as the runway length, which restricted aircraft operations and strengthened arguments for its closure.During a DGCA inspection, the runway was measured using the prescribed methodology. The additional 142m means a substantial operational difference, providing trainee pilots with significantly more distance for take-offs and landings, said Basavarajendra H, IAS, director of GFTS.The second challenge centred on the elevated National Highway connecting Bengaluru city and Kempegowda International Airport. Since the flyover is adjacent to the aerodrome, questions were repeatedly raised over whether it posed an obstacle to aircraft operations.“DGCA inspected the aerodrome twice,” Basavarajendra said. “The flyover is 33feet high, whereas a training aircraft reaches 100feet by the time it crosses the runway threshold. That leaves a comfortable safety margin. Moreover, aircraft safely operated from Jakkur for years after the flyover was built.”DGCA also deployed experienced test pilots to conduct flight trials. Unlike GFTS’s routine operations where pilots generally commence take-off from the middle of the runway, DGCA pilots used the entire runway length. Officials said the aircraft comfortably cleared the flyover.During landing trials, test pilots deliberately touched down well beyond the runway threshold — using nearly three-fourths of the runway — to assess whether the obstacle would affect approach angles or aircraft clearance. The successful flight demonstrations eventually paved the way for a fresh licence, allowing the 116-year-old flying school to return to the skies.Training school’s answers to key questionsWhy not convert Jakkur into a sports arena?A sports complex can be built elsewhere, but an airfield cannot. Jakkur was chosen based on scientific parameters such as wind patterns, approach path, obstacle-free airspace and geography.Why maintain a Rs 20,000-cr aviation ecosystem to train only a handful of pilots?Jakkur is more than a pilot training school. As Bengaluru grows into an aerospace and aviation hub, the flying school will serve as an affordable gateway for aspiring pilots and nurture talent in line with the city’s aviation ambitions.How will the flying school benefit Bengaluru in future?Jakkur could become a key urban aviation hub since it provides a testing and training platform for drones, UAVs, microlights and future aviation technologies.Will aircraft operations create excessive noise?Training aircraft such as gliders and microlights operate at higher altitudes and generate significantly less noise than helicopters. Besides, the school does not have night operations.
