| For aspiring pilots.. in INDIA ( spl. report.. by pilot himself) | | | | that were so, then all you would have to do is get |
| Of late, I have been flooded with phone calls, emails | | | | yourself into an institute and sleep away the rest of |
| and scraps from people from various walks of life - | | | | your days - hey, guaranteed job, right? To even desire |
| 12th standard pass outs to engineers to commerce | | | | such a thing seriously is proof that you want something |
| graduates to even chartered accountants, anxiously | | | | for nothing - a free life! Get that thought out of your |
| and excitedly inquiring about pilot training. The type of | | | | heads, otherwise it will wreck you! Moral preaching |
| inquiries made and the expectations most of these | | | | apart, there is no job guarantee for pilots, in fact, |
| people have has made me realize that perhaps the | | | | getting a pilot's job is MUCH MORE DIFFICULT than |
| aviation boom in India has been over-hyped to such an | | | | getting a job as an engineer, MBA or call-center |
| extent that it has created certain false impressions | | | | officer. Since the industry is not as well organized as |
| and hopes. In view of this, I would like to clarify the | | | | hard-core ones, it is difficult to say when vacancies will |
| following things about becoming a commercial pilot: | | | | appear in which company, or how many there will be. |
| 1. The first and foremost thing I want to emphasize is | | | | When vacancies do appear, you will have to compete |
| that being a commercial pilot is NOT, I repeat NOT an | | | | along with many experienced pilots like flight instructors |
| easy escape from the difficulty of other careers! It is | | | | or charter pilots for the same post! The entry process |
| as difficult, demanding and effort consuming as being | | | | for most airlines involves written test, pychometry, |
| an engineer or doctor, with an added negative aspect | | | | interview, simulator check/instrument check and |
| - EXTREMELY HIGH STRESS LEVELS. Being an | | | | company medical - 5 layers to get through! Most |
| airline first officer or commander is not at all just about | | | | companies charge you for each of these layers. |
| sitting in an air-conditioned automated aircraft, hopping | | | | 5. Contrary to popular opinion, professional flying is |
| across various cities everyday, staying at posh hotels | | | | difficult, as I've already mentioned. There are too many |
| and being paid for it! Get real guys! There is not a | | | | professional and human constraints to be followed in |
| single dream job like that in the world. If it existed, I'm | | | | the job. Your family and social lives will have to be |
| sure everybody would be doing only that by now. The | | | | sacrificed greatly at least in the junior years. You will |
| above-mentioned things are perquisites that go along | | | | have to undergo skill tests and proficiency checks at |
| with your actual work, and are not the work itself! The | | | | least every 6 months in an airline, and believe me, you |
| strain and rigorous effort needed to get trained to fly | | | | have to be on your toes if you don't want to be |
| even a small propeller aircraft is humongous! To | | | | grounded or laid off... |
| assume the responsibility of an airline-level jet as well | | | | ...It's not akin to driving a car where the skill remains - it |
| as operate it as per every standard and norm | | | | involves constant up gradation both practically and |
| imposed by the DGCA and the company demands an | | | | theoretically; why, I'm sure one look at the theory |
| ability equivalent of a good engineer, the alertness of a | | | | required for just the basic CPL exams will scare off |
| manager, the accuracy of a good weatherman, the | | | | quite a few people. |
| sound knowledge of regulations, PLUS constant | | | | 6. There are a lot of heartaches and frustrations in |
| presence of mind and self innovation to tackle | | | | flying - from financial problems to political competition to |
| everyday situations, each of which will be unique. | | | | lack of flight instructors to medical grounding. The entire |
| 2. Training to become a pilot is one of the toughest | | | | process of becoming a pilot will entail a minimum |
| things in the world - I'm not joking! It is only the amount | | | | investment of Rs.13-14 lakhs, and this does not include |
| of BOOKISH EFFORT that is less in flight training - | | | | Multi Engine Rating or Instructor Rating or any post - |
| though, by all means, there is plenty of that also. | | | | job airline training costs, which may be an additional Rs. |
| Becoming a pilot is not as easy as simply enrolling in an | | | | 10 - 25 lakhs. You may have passed all your theory |
| institute and logging your hours. There are at least 10 | | | | papers and be first in line for training and the most |
| procedures involved in it viz. Police verification, Board | | | | interested and best flyer, yet you may be a victim of |
| verification, Computer number application, theory | | | | favoritism, nepotism and influence. There is nothing that |
| exams application, SPL, FRTOL, theory coaching, | | | | can be done about this. If your flight instructor suddenly |
| Class 2 medical, Class 1 medical, COP (RTR), flight | | | | leaves his job for another, leaving you stranded, there |
| training, license and rating applications. You will have to | | | | is not much you can do about that either. |
| sweat it out and run around a lot for each of these | | | | My motive is not to discourage people from aspiring to |
| procedures, and EACH of them will take you a | | | | become pilots, but to attempt a segregation of the |
| minimum of 3 months to complete. | | | | die-hards and the wannabes. If you are bored with or |
| 3. Becoming a pilot means obtaining and holding at | | | | tired of your present career and want a refreshing |
| least 6 CURRENT documents viz. SPL, FRTOL, Class | | | | change, FLYING IS NOT FOR YOU. If you are bad at |
| 1 Medical assessment, pass in the required 5 theory | | | | studies or do not wish to struggle much in life, FLYING |
| exams (which are quite difficult to pass by the way), | | | | IS NOT FOR YOU. If you want a stable, risk-free, |
| COP (RTR) and logbook of flight training done as per | | | | secure career option, FLYING IS NOT FOR YOU. If |
| syllabus. EACH of these has a separate validity period, | | | | you are looking at alternative, off - beat career options, |
| from 6 months to 2-1/2 years, and if you cannot | | | | FLYING IS NOT FOR YOU. If you "wanna be pilot coz |
| complete your training within that time, that particular | | | | its cool", FLYING IS NOT FOR YOU (you may try |
| license would lapse and will have to be renewed. This | | | | Microsoft Flight Simulator). |
| will involve higher costs and more running around, thus | | | | To even think of becoming a pilot, you must be |
| there is tension to finish training very fast, which is not | | | | seriously passionate about it and willing to risk a lot in |
| practically possible. After becoming a pilot, your | | | | life - financially and otherwise. You must be prepared |
| instrument rating and night rating will have to be | | | | to face insurmountable obstacles and heart-wrenching |
| renewed every six months, COP (RTR) will have to | | | | grief in your endeavor. You must be ready to suffer |
| be renewed every 3 years, and Class 1 medical will | | | | terrible injustices in your quest. You must be willing to |
| have to be renewed every year up to the age of 40. | | | | struggle like a madman, with no destination in sight, |
| The last one is especially dicey, you could be grounded | | | | plodding on only fuelled by the hope that you may |
| medically anytime, and depending on the duration, it can | | | | make it someday. You must be prepared to live badly |
| spoil your flight training and even ruin your career for | | | | and poorly for maybe even your entire life. Yes, what I |
| life! | | | | am saying is that flying must be the primary love of |
| 6/24/06 4. This is an important point - there is NO | | | | your life if you want to attempt a career at it, just like |
| SUCH THING AS JOB GUARANTEE OR 100% | | | | music was the primary love of Beethoven's life. |
| PLACEMENT! Any institute that proclaims this is trying | | | | I hope this article has been helpful to a lot of you who |
| to attract you with false promises. Hello?? Guys, wake | | | | dream of being pilots. If you've fully understood the |
| up! Is there any such thing as a job guarantee in any | | | | challenges involved and still want to start the |
| career?? Even if you're a student at an IIM or IIT, is a | | | | adventure, I will be glad to help you out. Cheers and fly |
| job guaranteed for you?? What a ridiculous thought! If | | | | high. |