Archives: Market Intelligences

India’s Regulator Adds Private Hospitals for Pilot Medicals Beginning 15 November 2025

India – The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced that, effective 15 November 2025, several private hospitals will be authorised to conduct Class 1, 2 and 3 pilot medical examinations for civil aviation personnel—a major shift from the previous reliance largely on military‑airforce medical boards.

  • The new empanelment lets approved private aeromedical centres conduct mandatory medical evaluations for pilots and other aviation‑licence holders.

  • Notable empanelled hospitals include:

    • Apollo Hospitals (Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Indore)

    • Max Healthcare (Delhi)

    • Medanta (Gurugram)

    • Ruby Hall Clinic (Pune)

    • Nanavati Hospital (Mumbai) – authorised specifically for Class 1 initial and re‑initial medicals.

  • The aviation pilots’ association Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) welcomed the move, stating it aligns forward with separating civil and military medical‑evaluation frameworks and with global aviation best practices.

Source: DGCA

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USA’s Epic Flight Academy Awards USA 145,000 Total in 2025 Scholarships to 17 High School Students

USA – Flight and aircraft maintenance training group Epic Flight Academy is pleased to announce the winners of the 10th Annual Aviation Scholarship Awards. In 2025, Epic awarded $145,000 to 17 high school students. This brings the total awarded to high school students over the past 10 years to $590,000.

Dr. Cindy Lovell, director of education, said, “We received more than 150 applications, so our team of judges had their work cut out for them. Students from 24 states applied for scholarships to our different campuses around the country. It was our best response yet, and the winners come from 12 different states.”

CEO Danny Perna added, “The quality of applications was impressive this year. In fact, the winner of our Captain Judy Rice $20,000 Pilot Scholarship is a young lady from Wisconsin who experienced an engine out on her cross-country solo flight while training at another flight school, but she landed safely on a country road. No doubt Captain Judy would approve!”

Epic Flight Academy awards annual scholarships to eligible U.S. high school students. Epic offers additional scholarships through numerous aviation organizations. The King Air Nation Foundation allocated $10,000 to Epic this year for an aircraft mechanic student and $5,000 for a flight student.

Founded in 1999, Epic Flight Academy is the largest FAA Part 141 flight school in the United States. With multiple training locations, including two FAA Part 147 aircraft mechanic schools, Epic specializes in training students for careers in aviation.

Source: Epic Flight Academy

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Belgium’s Ostend Air College Invests in the ALSIM AL42 Simulator to Enhance its Pilot Training

Belgium – Ostend Air College, a Belgian flight school, has once again placed its trust in ALSIM by investing in a new AL42 simulator.

The AL42 is an exact replica of the Diamond DA42, built using genuine aircraft parts and equipped with the authentic Garmin™ G1000® Nxi. It also comes with the latest generation image generator (VFR-VS), a GFC™ 700 autopilot, and a force feedback system that ensures enhanced realism. It can also be equipped with either analog or glass (EFIS) backup instruments.

The AL42 model is designed for CPL, IR/ME and PPL training in compliance with current regulatory standards of EASA FNPT II (level).

Lieven Van Hoorick, FSTD Manager at Ostend Air College, says “We decided to invest in the ALSIM AL42 as part of our ongoing effort to future proof our training programs and maintain a high level of realism and quality in our pilot instruction. The AL42’s modern avionics, accurate flight dynamics and alignment with the DA42 cockpit make it a valuable tool for bridging the gap between simulation and real-world procedures.

Our partnership with ALSIM dates back to 2007. Having worked with the company for many years, we’ve come to appreciate the consistency and technical robustness of their simulators, which made the decision to continue with the AL42 a logical and well-founded one.”

Leonardo Rodrigues, Sales Manager at ALSIM, says, “We are delighted that Ostend Air College has once again chosen ALSIM to support its pilot training programs with the AL42 simulator. Their decision reflects the trust they place in the quality and reliability of our devices. We are proud to continue this collaboration and look forward to many more successful years working together.”

ALSIM will be present at EATS 2025 from November 4 to 6, 2025 (Booth: 516) in Cascais, Portugal, where visitors will have the opportunity to meet our team.

About Ostend Air College
Ostend Air College (OAC) is a certified Belgian flight school offering an integrated ATPL program for aspiring airline pilots. Students begin with no prior flight experience and are trained through an intensive course to become professional pilots. The program uses modern training aircraft such as the Diamond DA40 and DA42, both equipped with Garmin G1000 glass cockpit systems. OAC also features an FNPT II DA42 simulator, allowing students to practice realistic flight scenarios. The school is located at Ostend Airport, along the Belgian coast, and has over 25 years of experience in pilot training. Notably, OAC was the first flight school in Belgium to be officially approved under the designation BE/ATO-001.

About ALSIM
ALSIM has been developing and manufacturing FAA & EASA certified FNPT II, FNPT II MCC and AATD flight simulators since 1994. ALSIM is widely acknowledged for its know-how, built on over 30 years of experience in flight simulation. We’re proud to say our hardware & software is made 100% in house, which means peace of mind for our customers. Innovation is at the heart of ALSIM’s mission. By continuously anticipating the evolving needs of flight schools and training centers, the company remains at the forefront of pilot training technology. To date, over 450 ALSIM simulators are installed and certified in more than 60 countries, serving a network of more than 400 clients worldwide.

Source: ALSIM
Photo Credit: ALSIM

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