Fast Times In Mumbai

CNN reports a surprise check last week at India's busy Mumbai Airport lived up to its billing, with officials making a few shocking discoveries. One airline pilot was found drunk on duty... and another who was flying in his t-shirt. (No, not on the same flight.)

Captain N. Ronaldo, a South American pilot flying an Air Deccan aircraft from Mumbai to the eastern city of Kolkata, was pulled off his plane Tuesday and referred for "action" after officials confirmed he was intoxicated.

"We have suspended the pilot after a breath-analyzer showed he had alcohol beyond the permissible levels," Air Deccan spokesperson Vijaya Menon told Reuters. India's rules are even more strict that the FAA's eight-hour "bottle-to-throttle" guidelines; pilots are not allowed to drink 12 hours before a flight.

Another pilot -- flying for an unnamed, low-cost carrier -- received a minor violation after authorities found him, on the flight deck, wearing a t-shirt. The pilot said his uniform was in the laundry.

India's civil aviation sector is booming right now, and many new airlines are actively seeking new pilots. If you're sober, can fly a plane and have a change of clothes handy, you are encouraged to apply.

FMI: www.mumbaiairport.com