Basic qualification for pilot training is successful completion of 10+2/equivalent with 50% marks in Physics and Maths. The applicant should have completed 17 years of age. The first step in Pilot training is acquiring of Student Pilot Licence (SPL). Thereafter he can start flight training to get Private Pilot Licence (PPL). This includes 60 hours of flying comprising 20 hours of dual flying, 20 hours of solo flying and 5 hours cross country flying. Theoretical examination's have to be passed in subjects like Air Regulation, Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Aircraft and Engines, After PPL another 190 hours of flying training is required for Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) i.e., a consolidated 250 hours of flying training. A flight radio operators licence and radio telephone licence have to be obtained. During CPL, the candidate should have exposure to a range of aircraft and fulfill other conditions like specified hours of solo flying, cross country flying and height flying. Theeoretical papers have to be cleared and medical tests passed. It usually takes 2 to 3 years before required flying hours and classroom learning are completed. Entry to the PPL course is through an entrance test conducted at certain centres. The test is based on subjects like English, General Knowledge, Maths, Physics and Chemistry. Applications are called in April and sent to The Director General of Civil Aviation (Training Section) Technical Centre, Opp. Safdarjang Airport, New Delhi-110 003.

After getting an Indian license, one can apply to the airlines for jobs. One may join as a pilot and work upwards to become a Commander. In Indian Airlines, it may take 8-10 years to get command of a jet aircraft. Private airlines may take only half the time, since the flying hours that the pilot puts in are much higher. These days there is a shortage of pilots and foreign airlines such as Gulf Air, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Air Lanka frequently hire Indian pilots. With Asia opening up, salaries have multiplied and it is not surprising to hear of a monthly salary of $6,000 after taxes (about Rs 2 lakh) or even a higher figure of $12,000. Apart from this, one may get to fly a bigger and more modern aircraft with a foreign airline.

A word of caution may be in order here. Many pilots switched to private airlines a few years back, lured by high salaries. With many such airlines folding up and running into losses, the high salaries have not been sustainable. In the past year, Damania was sold while Modiluft and East West were in serious trouble and were grounded due to various problems. This is not to say that the prospects are poor for a pilot. The domestic private airlines may be failing because of restrictive rules and this has been pointed out by owners of airlines. Government policy is also very confused and a proposal of a tie up between Tatas and Singapore Airlines has not been allowed by the government. The country's privatisation programme is clearly aimed at protecting the government monopoly. So the career opportunities at present are limited to Air India and Indian Airlines and foreign airlines.

• Academy of Carver Aviation Pvt. Ltd.Doddanavar Trade Centre,Near Fort,Dharwad Road,5:16 AM 1/9/99Belgaum-16.
• Andhra PRadesh Flying Club, Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.
• Assam Flying Club, Guwahati Airport, Guwahati-7.
• Bangalore Aeronautics Technical Services, Mysore Aerodrome, Karnataka.
• Bihar Flying Institute, Civil Aerodrome, Patna-1.
• Coimbatore Flying Club, Civil Aerodrome, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
• Faculty of Flight Safety Services, Delhi Flying Club Ltd. Safdarjang Airport, New Delhi-110 003.
• Flying Club, Civil Aerodrome, Indore-452 005, MP.
• Flytech Aviation Academy, 102, AI-Kauser, Road No. 10, West Maredpally, Secunderabad-500 026.
• Government Aviation Training Institute, Civil Aerodrome, Bhubaneshwar.
• Government Flying Training School, Jakkur Aerodrome, Yelahanka Post, Bangalore-560 064.
• Gujarat Flying Club, Civil Aerodrome, Hasni Road, Baroda-390 006, Gujarat.
• Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, Fursatganj Airfield, Rea Bareli-229 302, Uttar Pradesh.
• Jamshedpur Co-operative Flying Club Ltd. Sonari Aerodrome, Jamshedpur, Bihar.
• Ludhiana Aviation Club, Civil Aerodrome, PO Sahnswal, Ludhiana, Punjab.
• Nagpur Flying Club, Sonegaon Aerodrome, Nagpur, MAharashtra.
• Orient Flight School, Adminstrative Office 40, GST Road, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai-600 016,
• Operations at Civil Aerodrome, Pondicherry -605 008.
• Sahara India Aviation Academy 249/250, Block A, Road No.6, National Highway No. 8, Mahipalpur (Near I.G International Airport) New Delhi-110037.
• The Bombay Flying Club, Juhu Aerodrome, Juhu, Mumbai-400 049.
• Udan Flying School, Indore-452 005, Madhya Pradesh.
• West Bengal Flying Training Institute, Behala, Calcutta-700 060.

The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRAU) is the Premier flying institute in India. The Akademi offers opportunity to ascertain ones aptituted for flying through the Pilot aptitude Test. The assessment report is issued immeditely after the test.

• Civil Aviation Authority, Flight Crew Licensing, Aviation House, South Area, Gatwick Airport, Gatwick, West Sussex RH6 OYR.
• For list of Certified Pilot Schools in U.S - Contact :- 1. Superintendent of Document, US Goverment Printing Office. Washington, DC-20402. 2. Airline Pilots Association, 1625, Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036.