Information about how to become a commercial pilot in India

Children look up at the sky with brightened faces to wave hands at the airplane. One of them dreams of flying that airplane. They search for ‘how to be a commercial pilot’ on the internet and learn that their dream can come true. Your journey can be different than this, but your dedication toward the dream is the same. Commercial pilots in India can earn over INR 10 to 15 lakh per annum. You can earn more depending on the airline you work in. Here’s the comprehensive information to help you take the next step to your dream to become a commercial pilot in India

Who is a commercial pilot?

It is the person who flies airplanes and helicopters for business. It is a highly-skilled person whose job is to fly people from one place to another. It can be for the transportation of people or cargo, traffic monitoring, emergency rescue, evacuation operations, aircraft testing, fire fighting, or crop dusting. 

The commercial aircraft pilot is a highly responsible position to work in. The person needs to undergo a lot of training and knowledge about the aircraft they are flying. The Indian government has made all the amendments to help aspiring pilots pursue training and education in aviation. 

Let’s go through the steps to becoming a commercial pilot in India. 

The eligibility criteria

The basic eligibility criteria for becoming a commercial pilot is to have a minimum of 50% in the 12th standard examination. You must pass your HSC exam in the physics, chemistry, and maths groups. The further criteria are as follows.

• To become a commercial pilot in India, you must obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence(CPL).
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the government authority that provides licenses for commercial pilots. 
• Aspiring pilots need to join a training course in the DGCA-approved institute in India. 
• The DGCA-approved training institutes will need you to pass the written test. 
• There isn’t a compulsion to complete graduation to become a commercial pilot, but airline companies prefer candidates with an academic degree. You can study aviation engineering, aeronautical engineering, or aircraft operations for the degree.
• After the written test, the candidates must pass a medical test to see if they are fit to become commercial pilots. They need to pass the DGCA Class 1 medical assessment rules. 
• The candidates need to complete at least 200 hours of flying to get a commercial pilot license. 
• While applying for a commercial pilot license(CPL), the candidate must also pass a theory paper. 
• The aviation academies conduct these theory papers that train you to be eligible for CPL.   

The DGCA-approved aviation academies in India

These aviation academies are also called Flight Training Organisations (FTO). These FTOs provide flight training to aspiring commercial pilots. The faculty of these institutes have to be DGCA-approved. 

Let’s see the list of training academies in India. 

No.	Flight Training Organization	City
1	Nagpur Flying Club	Nagpur
2	Ludhiana Aviation Club	Ludhiyana
3	Orient Flying School	Chennai
4	Gujarat Flying Club	Vadodara
5	Carver Aviation Maharashtra	Baramati
6	Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics	Ahmedabad
7	Faculty of Flight Safety Service	Delhi
8	Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy	Kanpur
9	Bihar Flying Institute	Patna
10	Assam Flying Club	Guwahati
11	Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy	Hyderabad
12	Flying Training Institute	Kolkata

The training for a commercial pilot in India

These aviation academies provide the necessary training for the commercial pilots. They learn flying techniques as well as the science and mechanism behind them. During this training, the candidates need to remember that thousands of lives will depend on them. They need to feel responsible and learn accordingly. 

• They will undergo tough physical training in the academies apart from learning flying techniques.
• The candidates will receive flying training with the trainer on dual flights. 
• To become eligible for flying solo, the candidates must complete a minimum of 15 hours of dual flight training. 
• After getting the CPL, the candidates will have to undergo another training for 6 months to 1 year.

The subjects   

The candidates learn practical skills for flying an aircraft and some fundamentals through different subjects during this training period. These subjects include flying techniques, maintenance, the science behind an aircraft flight, equipment in the cockpit, how to communicate with air-traffic control, etc. The list of subjects for the training is as follows. 

1	Cockpit resource management
2	Air regulations
3	Airframes and engines
4	Aviation meteorology
5	Air navigation
6	Flight planning

Key takeaways

• While studying to become a commercial pilot in India, you get an opportunity to join the air force of the Indian army. 
• You must be above 18 years old to pursue a career in commercial piloting.
• To become a helicopter pilot, you will have to get the Commercial Helicopter Pilot Licence (CHPL). 

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FAQs

Q1. How much does a senior commercial pilot earn?

Answer: A senior commercial pilot can earn over INR 65 lakh to 1 crore, depending on the airline.

Q2. How much does it cost to become a pilot in India?

Answer: Pilot training in India can cost about INR 30-40 lakhs in the DGCA-approved academies.

Q3. How many years does it take to become a pilot in India?

Answer: It takes about 3 years to become a commercial pilot in India.