Want to be a pilot?

Few jobs are more glamorous than that of a pilot —unless one is a movie star, and even they look coolest when they have aviator glasses on.
A pilot’s pay packet is fat and the perks include a good life and foreign trips. However, a lot of work goes into becoming this elegant being who manoeuvres incredibly complex machines weighing hundreds of tons. And it is physically taxing, too. “Owing to the (crossing of) time zones and long flying hours, we are fatigued after landing,” says Captain Ashok Khadia, a senior pilot with a major airline. Sight-seeing in a foreign country can wait.
“The time between two flights is used to get some sleep, which is essential as we must recoup energy before flying again.”
Flying a plane with more than 200 people on it is fraught with risks and responsibilities. But this is offset by the prestige of the job. Such is the draw that Amitava Gupta, an engineer, spent $31,000 (Rs 15.5 lakh approx.) training in the US as a pilot.
Before this, Gupta, 29, was with Alliance Airways for three years as a technical instructor after studying production engineering.
Now back in India, he feels the “wholesome experience” of pilot training was worth every penny. “You learn all the technicalities, and have to take up tough challenges like landing on a ‘soft’ (not concrete) runway, or bringing the aircraft down safely after engine failure — all life-saving measures,” he says.
Social skills also come into play. Pawan Wagle (name changed), a pilot with Go Air, asserts the importance of a friendly equation with the crew.
Of late, pilots have been facing turbulent weather as the economic downturn in the United States affected every country — commerce suffered a setback, and so did flying. But industry veterans are not losing too much sleep over this; after all, air travel will not stop altogether, and pilots will always be needed.
You can apply for a commercial pilot licence (CPL), given by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), after 200 hours of flying at a training school. You have to clear five theory papers in aviation studies, including navigation and meteorology. You also have to clear an exam in radiotelephony, in which you learn ‘on air’ communication. Medical fitness is crucial, too.
The institute you choose should be approved by the DGCA.
Studying abroad is a viable option, but any training from the Philippines is regarded with suspicion because of the allegedly poor quality of aircraft used there.
Pratiksha Prasad, a licensed pilot, went to an academy in Canada, as she felt this would equip her better. “We were taught how to spin the aircraft and how to come out of turbulence. In India, they just teach you landing and take-off.”
As major Indian carriers struggle to limit losses, trained pilots are looking at general aviation, which includes charter airways and cargo airlines.
To gain experience, experts suggest one should work in a flying club until a better job comes along.
After you get the licence, you need to have multi-engine endorsement to apply for an airline job. Once in a job, you get further training on simulators to get the type endorsement (say, from Airbus or Boeing) to be able to work as a co-pilot. This training takes six months to one year after you get the CPL.
A commercial pilot licence (CPL) holder cannot become a co-pilot immediately. For that, one needs further training (multi-engine training and type endorsement for a specific make, e.g. Boeing or Airbus). Till that happens, you should settle for Rs 60,000-70,000 a month.
28/11/09 Hindustan Times