Plus, piloting is a prestigious, respected, and even heroic profession: no matter, if you commercial pilot in India or a military flight master in the USA.
However, you need to go through long training before getting pilot education. Usually, they enter an aviation university or a military school for this, depending on what kind of pilot they want to become: civilian, commercial, or military.
How to Become a Commercial Pilot
It’s interesting that airplane piloting has become much simpler, thanks to computer technology. To some extent, AI even replaced the flight engineer and navigator. But it is unlikely that it will ever replace the pilot because thus specialist controls the entire flight. By the way, civil aviation can also be different: commercial, private, etc.
There are several categories of pilots in civil aviation:
- the pilot of ultralight aircraft (paragliders, and motor SLA of all classes);
- glider pilots;
- amateur pilots;
- commercial aviation pilots;
- line pilots.
Depending on which category is selected, the type of training may be different. For example, to become a pilot for personal purposes, you need to get a Private Pilot License (PPL), which is possible after a course of study at a private school for two months. As a rule, pilot study fees are usually 10,000 – 15,000 USD on average.
What Is a Flight License and How to Get It?
To reach such a sky profession, people go through a long and challenging path. In addition, a novice must obtain a flight license which is complex and step-by-step complex.
This is a document without which you simply won’t be allowed to the helm. The license has several categories, each of which assumes its own privileges and categories of aircraft that the certificate holder may possess.
Such authorities as the National Aviation Administration (NAA) or the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are responsible for issuing flight licenses and registering aircraft in most European countries.
You can get this regardless of citizenship, or nationality. The main thing is to complete the courses to become a pilot at Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and fulfill some necessary pilot education requirements:
- Pass the first class medical check (1st Class Medical Check).
- End course to become a pilot and take a written exam.
- Take a practical exam on simulators.
- Take a practical exam on an airplane.
In addition to licenses, ratings are also assigned, giving their holders rights and privileges.
SPL (Sport Pilot License) — Sports flight license (started being issued in 2004)
Interestingly, this license doesn’t apply to sports in any way. This permit allows you to pilot vessels of up to two people in the crew. In fact, this is a license for pilots of ultralight aircraft.
This is the easiest to obtain, but also the most limited license. Which, however, is quite popular in Europe.
RPL (Recreational Pilot License) — Amateur piloting license
It is also known as a “weekend license". It is unpopular and extremely rarely issued. An amateur private piloting license is issued no more than several times a year.
PPL (Private Pilot License) — Private pilot license
The most common and universal license (if you wanna know how to become a pilot of civil aviation). Many pilots begin their careers with this document, and it allows them to climb into the sky without an instructor. The main requirements for obtaining it are:
- Age from 17 years.
- At least 35-40 hours of flight time.
CPL (Commercial Pilot License) — Commercial flight license
We can say that this is a basic license for any beginner in a flying career and the best option for those who want to organize paid flights and conduct business.
For such a license, you need to reach the age of majority, complete training for a duration of 2-3 years, and receive a medical certificate.
MPL (Multi-crew Pilot License) — Multi-crew pilot license
Pilots who seek or are going to get an MPL license spend a lot of time training on simulators. This is for those who want to think about how to become a commercial pilot.
To do this, you need to reach at least 18 years of age, listen to at least 750 hours of lectures on theoretical training and fly 250 hours of practice.
ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot License) — Airline Pilot License
A license that indicates the highest level of flight professionalism. It is issued to pilots who have flown at least 1,500 hours (of which at least 250 hours, as aircraft commanders).
What It Takes to Become a Pilot
It is not only the question of how to become a civilian pilot that is important. One more important moment is — do you have everything you need for this?
Love for the Sky
First things first, a pilot is a man of the sky. He just can't imagine himself without it. Therefore, even those who once dreamed of the profession of an aircraft pilot in their youth achieve this goal anyway, even if they managed to do it already in adulthood, with a different specialty and work experience.
Good Health
Flying is always a huge stressor for the body. And you need really good health to withstand such loads. Just imagine for yourself:
- Radiation doses.
- Time zone changes.
- Pressure drops.
- Constant stress and moral burden.
- Abnormal workload (sometimes you will have to work much more than 8 hours a day).
Therefore, pilots retire earlier (you can do this even at 32). In any case, after 63 years, no one will definitely let you take the helm.
Therefore, it is possible to withstand this only with good health and a strong body. This means that in any case, you will need to pass a medical examination, and prove that you have the highest possible indicators for all systems, especially:
- Vision.
- The cardiovascular system.
- Respiratory system.
If you have even the slightest deviation from the norm — you will simply not be allowed to study (and a student may be excluded altogether if something in his health has deteriorated).
Personal Qualities
In addition to physical qualities, the pilot must also have certain moral ones, without which it is simply impossible to control an aircraft:
- Attentiveness.
- Stress resistance.
- Courage.
- Willingness to always lead a healthy lifestyle.
- Maximum responsibility (because you will even have to be responsible for human lives).
Also, the mandatory requirements for pilots also include knowledge of a foreign language, sometimes several of them.
Professional Training
As a rule, to become a pilot, you need to go to a special educational institution for this: a flight school or an aviation academy. Moreover, you can enter the academy no later than 30 years.
Important:
The term of study at the academy is 5 years. By the way, this is one of the best and most reliable ways to become a pilot without money.
The duration of training and requirements (both upon admission and upon graduation) depends on which flight certificate you want to receive. For example, if you are interested in how to become a business aviation pilot, then many private flight schools are offered at your service.
- Admission to an educational institution where pilots are trained.
- Passing exams in theory and practice.
- Passing a medical commission.
- The “running time” of hours.
Keep in mind that if you have graduated from some kind of one-hour flight school (and not an academy), then the maximum that can be available to you is a helicopter or some small private plane. More serious air transport can only be available to graduates of flight academies.
Knowledge of a Foreign Language
It is very desirable, and in many places — even a mandatory requirement for a pilot. Especially if you are interested in how to become an airline pilot of international flights. It is no less desirable to master two or three foreign languages at the same time.
At the same time, you should not forget about literacy, because you have to fill out a lot of documents and protocols of international standards.
The dream of becoming a pilot is a dream for those who are brave and free. This is a prestigious and respected profession that you will definitely never get bored with. However, being a pilot is also a challenge, because such a vocation also implies many requirements: good health, extreme responsibility, and good training (theoretical and practical.)
There are many private schools where you can train and become a private pilot of small aircraft. But for more serious training, it is better to enter the flight academy, where commercial pilots of passenger ships are also trained. In addition, an aviation university is a good answer to what to do to become a pilot for free if you successfully pass the competitive selection.