A Commercial Pilot is a pilot who flies a specific aircraft type for an airline and holds a commercial pilot certificate issued by an authority. In India, the authority is the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Being a commercial pilot comes with a lot of responsibility. You will be responsible for hundreds of lives in a single aircraft, taking them from point A to point B in the fastest and the safest way possible.So, if you wish to enter this career path, or know someone who does, you are at the right place.

1. Shravan Shetty
Career Coach

3. Civil Aviation/ Commercial Pilot
A Commercial Pilot is a pilot who flies a specific aircraft type
for an airline and holds a commercial pilot certificate issued
by an authority. In India, the authority is the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Being a commercial pilot comes with a lot of responsibility.
You will be responsible for hundreds of lives in a single
aircraft, taking them from point A to point B in the fastest
and the safest way possible.
So, if you wish to enter this career path, or know someone
who does, you are at the right place.

4. Subject Requirements to Become a Commercial Pilot
To pursue Aviation as a career, you need to opt for
science stream – Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry
being compulsory subjects. If you do not have Physics and
Math’s in your higher secondary, then after completing or
alongside that you have the option of doing these two
subjects from National Institute of open Schooling and then
start your Pilot training course that permits you to take off
flights approved by the flying clubs of the country.

5. Entrance Examinations to Become a Commercial Pilot
● The admission to a pilot training course happens
through a set entrance procedure that includes a
written test, medical examination, and an interview.
Please note a minimum of 50% is required in class 12th
to join a flying school.
● The minimum age to apply for Pilot License, are as
follows:
Student Pilot License is 16 years
Private Pilot License is 17 years
Commercial Pilot License is 18 years

6. “It is possible to fly without
motors, but not without knowledge
and skill.”
Wilbur Wright

7. How Do You Become a Commercial Airline Pilot in India?
Steps you need to take in order to become a
commercial pilot

8. ● Step 1. Enroll in a Flying School and
Pursue B.Sc. in Aviation
● This admission procedure generally consists
of the following:
● Written Examination- The test
encompasses general English, Math’s,
Physics and Reasoning (10+2 standard).
● Pilot Aptitude Test- The test will assess
your aptitude on Air Regulation, Air
Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Aircraft
and Engine Knowledge
● Personal Interview and DGCA Medical
examination- The candidates succeeding in
written examination and aptitude test will be
required to take a medical assessment
conducted by the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation, Govt. of India.

9. Step 2. Obtain a Student Pilot License
● To obtain a student pilot license, you would have to
appear for an entrance examination. This consists of
an Oral test and will be taken by the Chief Instructor at
the School, or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) representative. This license allows you to get
flying training and permits you to take off flights on
gliders or small planes that are generally provided by
approved flying clubs of the country.
● By the time you complete your course, you should
have completed a minimum of 250 flying hours,
following which you can apply for the Commercial Pilot
License (CPL).

10. Some of the leading institutes for pursuing an Aviation
course:
● ● Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy (IGRUA), Rae
Bareilly
● Rajiv Gandhi Academy of Aviation Technology, Kerala
● National Flying Training Institute, Gondia
● Bombay Flying Club, Mumbai
● Ahmedabad Aviation & Aeronautics Ltd., Ahmedabad
● Madhya Pradesh Flying Club (MPFC), Indore
● CAE Oxford Aviation Academy, Gondia,
● Indigo Cadet Training Program, (Hamilton, New
Zealand & Hyderabad, India)
● Note: Every institute has their respective specifications
concerning physical fitness, and eyesight specifically.

11. The cost to become a commercial pilot in India is
quite high, ranging from 15 lakh Indian Rupees
onwards ranging on to 25 – 30 lakhs

12. • There are many good flying clubs in India but these days
there is a growing trend of people opting to complete
their flying and gain their licenses from abroad.
• “Enrolling for a flying school abroad can prove to be an
expensive affair but young aspiring pilots prefer it as it is
a quicker option to complete their flying hours”.
• “The same course can stretch for some 2 years in India
and doing it from abroad takes just 6-8 months making it
a much quicker option”.

13. CAE Oxford Aviation Academy
With 85 years of experience in pilot training, CAE Aviation
Academy is considered to be one of the best flying schools
across the globe.
This European flying school also has centres at Amsterdam,
Brussels, Gondia, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Perth, Phoenix, and
Rae Bareli. Training programmes undertaken at this school
include ATPL, CPL and MPL training routes.
The academy has more than 200 aircraft and can train more
than 2,000 pilots annually.

14. CTC Wings (Europe)
This is one of the most reputable flying clubs in the world.
CTC boasts of having cadets such that 97.8% of them
pass all 14 ATPL subjects in their first attempt and 99% of
the graduates get placed with some of the other airlines. In
2013, 243 new pilots graduated from CTC aviation
academy. UK’s largest airline, easyJet, hired 119 of the
243 graduates in the same year. It also has training
centres at New Zealand, India, Australia, and Singapore.

15. Flight Safety Academy (USA)
Known to produce top-class pilots since 1966, Flight Safety
Academy is undoubtedly the oldest and one of the best in
the business. More than 17,000 pilots who have graduated
from this flying school operate flights for some 62 airlines
and over 100 corporate flight departments. This training
institute offers direct flight line access, on-site
accommodations along with well-equipped classrooms,
administrative offices, and aircraft maintenance hangars.

16. Pan AM International Flying Academy
Established in 1980, Pan AM has training centres all over
the United States and the world. Apart from pilot flight
training, this academy also offers airline crew training,
aircraft maintenance training, aircraft dispatcher training,
and air traffic control training.

17. Singapore Flying College
Known to provide ab-initio as well as advanced flight training
to pilots for the Singapore Airlines Group, this flying college
was established in 1988. The college’s training fleet
comprises of five single-engine Cessna C172 in Seletar, 16
single-engine analogue and Garmin equipped Cessna C172.
It also includes three Garmin equipped multi-engine Beech
Baron aircraft in Jandakot for the ab-initio phase and four
Cessna Mustang light jet aircraft in Maroochydore for the
Advanced Training Phase. The college is known to have
trained more than 1900 cadets for the Singapore Airlines
Group. It began enrolling self-sponsored candidates in 2006
and around 30 of these candidates are presently working at
reputable airlines.

18. https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/become-a-pilot

19. https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/careers/cadet-pilots-
career/

20. https://www.emiratesflighttrainingacademy.com/en/

21. For any further clarification or support,
please feel free to contact us
Thank You
Shravan Shetty Career
Coach