flying club
A flying club or aero club is a non-profit organization, not-for-profit, member-run organization that provides its members with affordable access to aircraft.
Many clubs also provide flight training, flight planning facilities, pilot supplies and ...
in India, established in 1928, located at
Juhu aerodrome
Juhu Aerodrome is located in Juhu, an upmarket residential suburb of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is served primarily by general aviation aircraft and helicopters. Page 52 It was founded in 1928 as one of India's first civil aviation airpo ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. At present, the Bombay Flying Club's College of Aviation offers programs such as
pilot training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills.
Flight training can be conducted under a str ...
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere.
While the term originally referred ...
programs with affiliation from the
University of Mumbai
University of Mumbai is a public state university in Mumbai. It is one of the largest university systems in the world with over 549,000 students on its campuses and affiliated colleges. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges.
It was est ...
.
History
Bombay Flying Club was incorporated on 29 May 1928, and commenced instruction on 13 January 1929 when they received their first two
De Havilland Moth
The de Havilland Moths were a series of light aircraft, sports planes, and military trainers designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. In the late 1920s and 1930s, they were the most common civilian aircraft flying in Britain, and during that time eve ...
aircraft, presented to them by the Government of India. A third aircraft, a D.H. Moth (Gipsy), was won by the Club as a prize offered by Sir Charles Wakefield to the first Indian flying club which should turn out 12 qualified pilots, of whom at least six were to be Indians. The Club used these aircraft for tuition, joy-rides, and air travel. The activities of the club were, unfortunately, limited by the fact that the aerodrome at Juhu was not suitable during the monsoon. This problem was solved by 1937. The Club received its licence to build a hangar and garages at the aerodrome on 17 August 1931.
JRD Tata, the father of Indian
civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, which can be both private and commercial. Most countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and ...
, who received India's first pilot's licence, trained at this club in 1929. Lady Dinshaw Petit, his sister, became the first female to obtain a pilot licence in India.
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Piper PA-34 Seneca and one Piper Super Cub PA-18.
The Club shifted part of its training operations to Dhule Airport near the town of
Dhule
Dhule is one of the largest cities in Maharashtra, and central region of India. The city located in the Dhule District in the northwestern part of Maharashtra state, India known as West Khandesh. Situated on the banks of Panzara River, Dhule i ...
in 2009 to avoid the congested air-space of Mumbai. The Club leased the airstrip from the
Maharashtra Airport Development Company
Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited abbreviated as (MADC), is a Special Purpose Company constituted in 2002 by the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) to plan, construct, operate and maintain airports in the State. The government has en ...
in order to carry out its training activities without any restrictions.
Despite the city's change of name, the club retains the old name; however, the flying training, hobby flying and members' flying continues at Juhu airport at Mumbai too.