How to Become a Pilot in India : A Step-By-Step Guide

A pilot is a professional who flies and navigates helicopters, aircraft, fighter jets, and other aircraft types. They have the flying controls while ensuring the crew and passengers’ safety. As a pilot, you could transport passengers or goods from one place to another, or you could function with a company offering aerial photography, charter flights, and rescue operations.

Pilots can work in diverse fields in India, such as commercial aviation and the air force. In this article, we will see how to become a pilot in India and understand the whole process.

How to Become a Pilot in India

1. Do your research

In India, there are two methods of becoming a pilot. One way is via civil aviation, and the other is via Indian Defense Forces. The first path guides you to become a commercial pilot, whereas the second path helps you become an air force pilot. So, make sure that you conduct in-depth research before you start your pilot career. Both courses require different eligibility criteria and require you to pass exams and clear medical examinations.

2. Decide between commercial or air force pilot.

The conditions, responsibilities, license requirements, and benefits are different for commercial and air force pilots:

Civil aviation pilot: Commercial pilots fly aircraft and helicopters for company purposes. As a commercial pilot, your role may entail flying passenger or cargo aircraft. You may further be doing rescue or evacuation operations and traffic monitoring. To become eligible for becoming a commercial pilot, you must have a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) with mathematics and physics as compulsory subjects. If you do not have that certificate, you can finish a course on these two subjects from an open school.

Air force or fighter pilot: If you are passionate about serving our nation, you can become an air force or a fighter pilot. You will fly bombers, future strategic tanker aircraft (FSTA), fighter jets, and transport planes for the Indian Defence Forces if you get selected. You can start your career as a fighter pilot after completing your HSC or graduating with additional requirements.

3. Join a flying school

This is a crucial step in the process of how to become a pilot. For instance, if you are determined to become a civil aviation pilot, you must join a flying or a training school. First, analyze and evaluate different flying schools in your city or country. Comprehend their fee structure and duration. Such schools provide various courses based on your age, experience, and requirement. In addition, these training schools offer flight training and classroom lectures to sharpen your piloting skills further.

4. Apply for a license

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues and regulates licenses for Indian civil aviation pilots. To become a civil aviation pilot, you must finish a minimum number of hours of flight experience per DGCA rules. You will also need to take written and oral examinations apart from demonstrating your flying ability.

Based on your knowledge, experience, age, and flying hours, you may apply for student pilot license (SPL), private pilot license (PPL), commercial pilot license (CPL), and airline transport pilot license (ATPL). On the other hand, if you want to become an air force pilot, you need a defense license.

5. Clear the pilot exams

Civil aviation and air force pilots must clear written examinations and flying trials to get their pilot licenses.

Civil aviation pilots

CPL: getting a CPL demands passing a written examination conducted by the DGCA. The subject contains air navigation, aviation meteorology, air regulation, radiotelephone, signals, aircraft, and engines.
SPL: you must pass the oral examination conducted by the DGCA.
PPL: you must pass a flying and written test conducted by DGCA. The written test subjects contain air regulation, navigation, aviation meteorology, aircraft, and engines.

Air force pilots

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT): the Short Service Commission (SSC) conducts the test and evaluates your verbal ability, numerical ability, reasoning, military aptitude, and general awareness.
National Defense Academy (NDA): you must clear the NDA entrance examination, which evaluates your general aptitude and mathematics.
Combined Defence Service Examinations (CDSE): you have to give CDSE after graduation. It assesses your English, mathematics, and general knowledge. After passing the CDSE exam, you need to clear the SSB interview and a pilot aptitude test.
Entry through National Cadet Corps (NCC): if you are a graduate with 60% marks, an NCC society member, and have a certificate of Air Wing Senior Division’ C’, you can apply through NCC. Applicants who get an ‘A’ and ‘B’ certificate need not give a written test. They are directly qualified for SSB interviews.

You must clear the SSB interview and the pilot aptitude test on passing the exam.

6. Get flying experience

As per DGCA, all civil aviation pilots need to log a certain number of flying hours to acquire their license. The flying experience depends upon the kind of license you desire to achieve. For instance, an SPL license demands no flying experience, but a CPL mandates logging at least 200 flying hours. It is important to keep logging hours as you progress in your career path. It can take over a year or two to log the number of hours needed for CPL and ATPL.

7. Get your medical examination.

This is the last step on how to become a pilot. As a part of the pilot’s license stipulation, you must finish a medical fitness test to make sure that your health does not hinder while operating the aircraft. Civil aviation pilots and air force pilots must clear medical examinations as per the rules set by DGCA and Indian Defense Forces. Air force aspirants need a minimum height of 152 cm and 6/6 eye vision on one eye and 6/9 vision on the other. Your weight needs to correlate with your height. To become qualified for a DGCA license, you need a certificate of physical fitness in adherence to the DGCA requirements.

Conclusion

After reading this post, you may have understood how to become a pilot in india. Follow the above mentioned steps to become a pilot.

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