How to become a Commercial Pilot in India

Flying high in the sky has been a dream of many, but not everybody is capable of fulfilling and making it big in life. When asked, around 6 kids out of 10 say that they want to become a pilot, but becoming one is getting more and more difficult nowadays. There is a glut almost everywhere and so is the case in flying too. Flying a plane is not as easy as driving a car, it is way more complex and way more expensive too. Other than that you have the responsibility of flying a couple hundreds of passengers safely to their destination. Hence, becoming a pilot asks for the person to be smart, intelligent and responsible.

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Here is how one can become a commercial pilot in India-

Eligibility – The person needs to clear the 10+2 examination in the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Maths and should have at least 50% marks or above.

Selection – Getting into a flying school is not a child’s play, one has to appear in the entrance test which asks questions from various subjects like Physics and Maths. This test is followed by a physical examination which determines if the person is healthy enough to be taken into the school and once the physical and entrance test get cleared, the candidate will be called for an interview.

Education and Expenses – After getting into a flying school one needs to clear various tests and training that they are put through. The entire course can cost anywhere between 15 lacs to 20 lacs depending on the licenses that one is aiming to get.

1. SPL – the student pilot license is with which one starts their career.
2. PPL – Private pilot license can be obtained after 60 hours of flying (trainer and individual included)
3. CPL – Commercial pilot license can be obtained after around 190 hours of flying.

The banks usually provide a loan of up to 50% in order to support the endeavors of students who want to become a pilot.

If one doesn’t have the resources to study in a flying school, then one could choose to go into the Indian Air Force. The person will have to clear AFCAT and should be between 19 to 23 years of age.

Career – It is advisable to get trained from the flying school of a company which could provide employment to their own students later because otherwise there is a chance of not getting a job easily because of the glut in the industry. Many companies like Indigo have their own training schools and they employ their own students once their training is complete.

Salary – The fresh pilots are employed as trainees and paid less but the salary of a pilot can easily go up to 1-2 lacs per month and the salary of a pilot who flies on the international route can be between 5-6 lacs per month.

As I said earlier, becoming a pilot is not an easy job but it is not totally impossible. Just make sure you plan things smartly because you don’t want to be out of a job once you’re done with training. Also, make sure that you have enough resources to fund the flying school. Once all of that is sorted, there is no stopping. Flying is an occupation which is adventurous, lovable and well paying. It ensures that you have a life which is full of fun, respect, adventure and exposure.