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{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = '''Madras Flying Club''' <br /> '''MFC'''
| image =
| caption =
| dates = 19 November 1929–present
| country = [[File:Flag of India.svg|20px]] [[India]]
| allegiance =
| branch =
| type = Training
| role = Commercial flying training
| size =
| command_structure =
| garrison = [[Chennai International Airport]] 1929–2019<br>
[[Tiruchirappalli International Airport]] 2019–present
| garrison_label =
| nickname = MFC
| patron =
| motto =
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| mascot =
| equipment =
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| battles =
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| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| disbanded = 
| commander1 =
| commander1_label = Commandant
| commander2 =
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| notable_commanders = 
| identification_symbol =
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| aircraft_attack =
| aircraft_bomber =
| aircraft_electronic =
| aircraft_fighter =
| aircraft_helicopter =
| aircraft_helicopter_attack =
| aircraft_helicopter_cargo =
| aircraft_helicopter_multirole =
| aircraft_helicopter_observation =
| aircraft_helicopter_transport =
| aircraft_helicopter_utility =
| aircraft_interceptor =
| aircraft_patrol =
| aircraft_recon =
| aircraft_trainer =
| aircraft_transport =
}}

'''Madras Flying Club''' is an [[Flight training|aviation academy]] in [[Tiruchi]], [[India]]. It offers courses on pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and cabin crew management, among others.<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi"/> It is one of the oldest aviation academies in the country.<ref name="IE_OneYearOn">{{cite news
| last = Joseph
| first = Jose K.
| title = One year on, Flying Club remains non-starter
| newspaper = The New Indian Express
| location = Tiruchi
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = Express Publications
| date = 4 November 2019
| url = https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/nov/04/one-year-on-flying-club-remains-non-starter-2056831.html
| access-date = 28 September 2020}}</ref>

==Location==
Originally based in [[Chennai]], the Madras Flying Club has been based at Gate No. 1 at [[Tiruchirappalli International Airport]] in [[Tiruchi]] since 2019.

==History==
The Madras Flying Club was established in [[Madras]] in October 1929 as a private club, long before passenger traffic commenced at the [[Chennai International Airport|city's airport]].<ref name="Muthiah_2014">{{cite book | last = Muthiah| first = S. | author-link = S. Muthiah | title = Madras Rediscovered| publisher = EastWest | series = | volume = | edition = | date = 2014 | location = Chennai | pages = 142–143 | language = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-93-84030-28-5| mr = | zbl = | jfm = }}</ref> It was established by a pilot named [[G. Vlasto]].<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/> It commenced on 19 November 1929 with a meeting at the [[Madras Guards Institute]] on [[Poonamallee High Road]]. In the meeting, which was presided over by Chitty, W/Cdr. A. Cooper, the then Secretary of the [[Aero Club of India]], addressed the gathering announcing the formation of a new flying club at Madras with the financial grant from the Director of Civil Aviation. The flying club was incorporated on 4 March 1930, and, with the subsidy for commencing flying programs granted in April 1930, the flying club was formally inaugurated on 20 August 1930 by Sir [[George Frederick Stanley]], the then [[Governor of Madras]], who was also the first patron of the flying club.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/> With Flt. Lt. H. N. Hawker as the first pilot instructor and M. W. Hulcoop as the first flight engineer, the first instructional flight took place on 21 July 1930.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/> The first two aircraft, VCT-ABH and VT-ABI, were named by [[Lady Beatrix Stanley]] as "Garuda" and "Pushpak", respectively.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} Mohammed Ismail Khan became the first Indian instructor, who served with the Club from 1942.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/> The Club's chief flying instructor, Tyndale-Biscoe, flew the first international flight from Madras to Colombo in 1935.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/>

First members of the club include three Nattukkottai Chettiars, namely Avadaiappan, S. A. A. Annamalai and Solaiappan.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/> In 1931, Avadaiappa Chettiar became the fifth person and the first Indian to get a private pilot's licence. Soon after, also in 1931, Annamalai Chettiar became the sixth person and the second Indian on the list. Solaiappan became the 21st person on the list.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/> All the three owned aircraft and started a flying club in the village of Kanadukathan in their homeland, 250 miles south of Madras.<ref name="Muthiah_2014"/>

After [[Partition of India|Independence]], under the president-ship of [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], the flying club celebrated its silver jubilee in October 1955. On 12 September 2009, the flying club celebrated its 80th anniversary.<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi">{{cite news
| last = Rajaram
| first = R.
| title = Madras Flying Club all set to take off from Tiruchi
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Tiruchi
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 14 January 2020
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/madras-flying-club-all-set-to-take-off-from-tiruchi/article30567929.ece
| access-date = 28 September 2020}}</ref> In November 2018, the flying club announced shifting its operations from the [[Chennai International Airport]] to the [[Tiruchirappalli International Airport|Tiruchi International Airport]].<ref name="IE_OneYearOn"/>

==The flying club==
Beginning with the initial fleet of the [[de Havilland Puss Moth|Puss Moths]], [[de Havilland Tiger Moth|Tiger Moths]], and [[de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk|Chipmunks]], and then to [[Pushpaka Aviation|Pushpak]], the modern fleet of the flying club include the glass-cockpit [[Cessna 172|Cessna 172 R]]. The flying club has a total fleet strength of 6 aircraft,<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi"/> including three [[Cessna 152|Cessna 152A]], two [[Hansa 3]], and one [[Cessna 172|Cessna 172 R]]. Recently, the flying club acquired an [[Iskara jet engine]] from the [[Indian Air Force]] for education and exhibit purpose.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

The flying club has an aviation library, three air-conditioned, computer-aided smart class rooms and conference hall with audio and visual equipment.<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi"/> The flying club also has plans to collaborate with a foreign aviation organization to enhance the training quality.<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi"/> The flying club is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 and is recognised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, New Delhi.<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi"/><ref name="TH_AviationCourses"/> In its first 90 years of operations, the flying club has produced more than 1,500 pilots.<ref name="TH_AviationCourses"/> The Tamil Nadu government has allotted two acres of land adjoining the Tiruchi airport for the development of the flying club's infrastructure.<ref name="TH_FromTiruchi"/>

In 2020, the flying club collaborated with [[Bishop Heber College]] in Tiruchi to offer aviation-related degree and diploma courses to be awarded by the [[Bharathidasan University]]. An aero lab equipped with aero engines and other aviation-related equipment is being set up in Bishop Heber College. Courses offered include three-year bachelor of science degrees separately in aviation and aircraft maintenance, a six-month pilot-training course, post-graduate diploma in airline operations, air hostesses and airport ground handling, a one-year diploma courses for assistant flight dispatchers, and a six-month certificate course for customer service agents.<ref name="TH_AviationCourses">{{cite news
| last = Rajaram
| first = R.
| title = Madras Flying Club teams up with city college to offer aviation courses
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Tiruchi
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 24 February 2020
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/madras-flying-club-teams-up-with-college-in-tiruchi-to-offer-aviation-courses/article30902151.ece
| access-date = 28 September 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Flight training school]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.themadrasflyingclub.org/index.html Official web page]

[[Category:Organizations established in 1929]]
[[Category:Aviation schools in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Tiruchirappalli]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Chennai]]
[[Category:Flying clubs]]

Madras Flying Club - Revision history

imported>Buckshot06 at 15:32, 10 January 2021