| |
|
In his book titled ‘Illusions’, Robert Bach
teaches you to fly, to attain what others fear to even dream of. Being
an airline pilot is a lateral example of ‘Illusions’.
If you dream of
flying the heights and conquering the skies, an airline pilot job is
your flight to achieving them. In airline pilot jobs, one has the option
of being:
1)A commercial pilot or
2)A military pilot
Irrespective of one’s airline pilot career choice, there are some common
parameters that one must consider. E.g. one is expected to be of minimum
16 – 17 years, extremely physically fit, have perfect 6/6 eyesight,
capable of handling stress especially during emergencies and staying
awake for hours on end etc. |
|
Besides the anatomical requirements, it is
crucial to have a strong aptitude for Math and Physics as well as a
logical and deductive mind. The basic responsibility of a pilot is, of
course, fly the passengers safely to their destination but besides this,
they have to make certain pre-flight preparations, check fuel
requirements, check the route, keep in constant touch with the flight
attendants and crewmembers, make a flight report etc.
So if you have already made up half your mind to have an airline pilot
job, it’s time to choose between a commercial and military pilot. A
commercial pilot's job, as popularly known, flies people to and fro from
one city or even country to another; whereas a military pilot is for
security purposes of the country and works for the Indian Air
Force / Indian Navy.
So how does one go on to be either? The first thing one needs to do is
join a good flying club. Being a commercial pilot is a stage-wise
process beginning from A Student Pilot License (SPL) for which one
requires to certain written theory exams such as Aviation technical,
Regulations, Meteorology, Navigation, medical clearance, security
permission, aptitude tests etc.
| Post the SPL; one needs to attain the
Private Pilot License that requires minimum number of flying hours with
an instructor as well as solo. After getting the PPL one can apply for
the Commercial Pilot License that again, requires a medical certificate
approved by the ACFME or IAM, minimum 250 hours of flying etc.
One can
even apply for private / commercial helicopter pilot license depending
upon your written test and number of flying hours. Well if you think
now you are ready to fly from New York to New Zealand on your own, think
again! It’s not that easy since you need to clear one more level. Upto
now you are qualified only to be a co-pilot. |
|
To be the captain, you need the Airline Transport Pilot’s license with
1500 hours of flying, appropriate medical certificates and passing
certain written exams. Now you are ready to take off!
The patriotic side of airline pilot jobs
Patriotism is a fervour that can take you miles ahead of the ordinary
people. A pilot as well as a patriot is a unique combination that puts
one well within what we call ‘the league of extraordinary people’. At 11
miles per minute, you would not just be soaring in your fighter plane.
To enter the military path, one needs to join the military training
institute. You can be an officer (one who strategises, leads and
manages) or an airman (one who ensures smooth running of air and ground
bases) depending upon your qualifications. There are different entry
points for various academic qualifications such as metric +2,
intermediate, graduate, post-graduate etc. You career graph, as an
officer, would read like this:
Junior level (Flying officer, Flight Lieutenant), Senior level (Squadron
Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain) and Directorate level (Air
commodore, Air vice Marshall, Air Marshall and Chief Air Marshall)
Does this entice you? You can them follow the admission process to give
a flying start to our career right away provided you are 16 and half
years of age, Indian and passed 10+2 with Physics and math. Sorry, no
entry for women! You need to apply for the National Defence Academy (NDA)
exams through the UPSC. If you are short listed, you would undergo a 3
year rigorous training followed by specialised training after which you
are posted to Air force stations.
Damages versus returns
Airline pilot jobs, especially commercial pilots are expensive to
qualify for. Various licenses (as explained before) cost anything
between Rs. 10000 to 3 lakhs. But the returns are higher and faster with
a starting monthly salary of Rs. 65000. Military pilots earn mush less
beginning Rs. 20000 p.m. though the cost of training is moderate if one
joins the military training organization.
Good news awaits those who want to be in the field of commercial air
pilots. The current travel boom and cropping up of newer airlines has
created a huge demand for talent, which means higher perks and pays.
To be or not to be
Although a pilot’s work is quite stressful, it has various pros and
cons. Airline pilot jobs are extremely lucrative with great perks,
limited work hours and considerable allowances for one’s family. On the
other side, it is a high-risk career with long hours at a stretch, no
guarantee of holidays etc. So this makes it imperative to weigh all the
factors and arrive at a decision. Though usually people who have jumped
in the wagon rarely repent their choice. It gives them a new high each
time their engines roar and take their careers along with them,
skywards. ~
author L. S. Batra. Copyright©2005
indianchild.com.
|
|
