Career as a Commercial Pilot
A career as a commercial pilot is considered prestigious. These pilots fly passenger or cargo aircraft, bearing significant responsibilities. They must be knowledgeable in air navigation, meteorology, and advanced equipment, effectively leading the aircraft.
Personality Traits
Commercial pilots must possess perfect physical, mental, and emotional stability, along with a positive attitude, discipline, a knack for technical studies, leadership qualities, and self-confidence.
Course Training
Student Pilot Licence (SPL): The first step towards becoming a commercial pilot is obtaining an SPL from government-sponsored flying clubs in various cities. The minimum eligibility is completing high school and being 16 years old, with physical fitness meeting the standards set by the Central Medical Establishments in New Delhi.
Private Pilot Licence (PPL): PPL training includes an initial 15 hours of dual flight instruction, totaling 60 hours of flying, which includes 5 hours of cross-country and 20 hours of solo flying. After practical training, theoretical exams are required in subjects like air regulation, air navigation, aviation meteorology, and aircraft engines. Eligibility includes completing high school, being at least 17 years old, and having a medical fitness declaration from the Armed Forces Central Medical Establishment (AFCME).
Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL): After obtaining a PPL, aspiring pilots can pursue a CPL, requiring an additional 190 hours of flying experience across various aircraft, including solo, cross-country, instrument, and night flying. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates that CPL applicants have completed at least 10 hours of flying in the six months before applying, including 5 hours of night flying with at least 10 takeoffs and landings.
Leading Flying Clubs
- Mumbai Flying Club
- Delhi Flying Club
- Government Flying Training School, Bangalore
- Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA), Fursatganj, Dist-Rae Bareli (UP)
Entry into IGRUA involves a competitive exam assessing aviation knowledge and general intelligence, followed by an interview and aptitude test. Eligibility requires a high school diploma, PPL, and an AFCME medical certificate. The training fee at IGRUA is approximately Rs. 2 Lakhs. The CPL course typically takes 18 months but can extend up to 3 years to complete all subjects, costing around Rs. 3 to 4 Lakhs.
Placement
Commercial pilots have ample job opportunities with public sector airlines like Air India and Indian Airlines, as well as private airlines such as Jet Air, Alliance Air, Modiluft, and Sahara Airlines. Salaries for commercial pilots range from 2.5 lakhs to 3 lakhs per month