Sky is limit: Highs & lows of being a pilot

Updated on: Thursday, June 02, 2011

In the second half of the 20century, there were limited options for those who wanted to become a pilot. Joining the Indian Air Force was the only choice for those interested to take up flying as a career. It gave them the opportunity to serve the country while fulfiling their dreams of sitting in the cockpit. The flying clubs set up during the pre-independence era were accessible only to the rich and elite, who often took up flying as a hobby. With openings being few, the aviation sector was not rewarding. However, in the last decade, there has been a drastic change in the scenario. With an increase in the number of airlines in the country, a lot more students now look at flying as a career option. It is lucrative as well as attractive.

FAKE LICENSE SCAM

In the last few months, many pilots have been in the news, unfortunately for the wrong reasons. The forging of documents to get pilots licenses has thrown light on the corruption in the aviation sector. To become a commercial pilot, one has to complete class XII with a minimum of 50% marks in mathematics and physics. After having cleared a medical test and a written examination, a student gets his SPL - Students' Pilot License. Post attaining the SPL, one is assigned a personal instructor to start flying lessons wherein one learns the basics of flying. After completing 200 hours of flying, one is eligible for the Commercial Pilots License (CPL). If one wants to become a captain, one needs to have 1,500 hours of flying and thereby have the Airline Transport Pilot's License (ATPL). These licenses are acquired after clearing the examinations set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Unfortunately, with the greed for quick money, the right procedures are not taken and one sees pilots with fake licenses due to forged documents. According to Captain V Nagarajan, ex-IAF officer, "Aviation sector is undergoing problems because of corrupt politicians, organisers and students. Unless individuals become disciplined, the sector will not succeed."

Flying schools in India face problems because students are made to fly in uncontrolled airports where facilities like navigation aids, rescue and safety services are not available. The number of instructors are also quite less in private flying schools in India as many pilots prefer to fly for airlines which offer them a higher salary. All these factors eventually affect the training of the students and thus, they look for alternate options.

TOUCHING THE SKY

One avenue for quality training is by joining the Short Service Commission (SSC) of the IAF. The Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dindigal (near Hyderabad) imparts training to the flying , technical and ground duty branches to officers of the Air Force, as well as those of Army and Navy.

The instructors have been trained by the IAF and have more than 1,000 hours of flying experience. All this is offered free of cost and the students do not have to pay for the amount spent on their training. Along with this, one has to sign a bond for serving the country for a period of 14 years. At the end of this period, they are free to leave the IAF and fly as a commercial pilot. "Serving in the IAF helped build my overall personality as I was involved with national problems. I also got a chance to interact with people from different parts of the country.

Living in various places has now made me a very accommodating person." says captain B Tony, who was a helicopter pilot, in the SSC branch of the Air Force.

INSTITUTE WATCH

The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy (IGRUA) at Rae-Bareilly is a government-run organisation that offers streamlined courses to students. When they walk out of IGRUA (after clearing the exam by the DGCA), the students have, in addition to the CPL, a Bachelors' degree in aviation.

"Although it takes three years to actually begin flying, the training one receives at IGRUA is rigorous. They have their own runway and ATC. The library has an extensive collection of books on aviation," says captain Priyanka Srivastava, a former student of the academy.

INTERNATIONAL OPTIONS

Due to lack of proper infrastructure and equipment for training, many students are forced to look at flying clubs abroad. According to captain Yash Arora, a city-based pilot, "The flying school that I went to in the US shared the airstrip with three other schools, each having 20 planes. The flying techniques taught there are much more advanced and the kind of exposure one gets there is not available in flying schools in India." While mental and physical fitness are essential, the right kind of training is a prerequisite for professional flying. With the recent boom in the aviation sector, the need for pilots is on the rise. The lives of passengers are in the hands of a pilot and therefore, it is imperative that only professionally trained and competent pilots are permitted to take to the skies.

Times of India

Sky is limit: Highs & lows of being a pilot

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