Steps to an Indian CPL
Obtaining a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) in India is a fairly challenging and tiresome process due to the many exams one has to attempt and clear, along with several flight checks and hours spent training. In this page you'll find out exactly how you can go from having little to no knowledge of aviation, to being officially certified to fly an aircraft.
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The absolute first thing you must do is figure out if you are fit to fly. DGCA, the aviation regulator in India requires all those wishing to pursue a career as a pilot to possess a valid Class 1 Medical certificate. You can attain the same by first getting a Class 2 Medical certificate by undergoing medical tests via certified doctors as mentioned on DGCA's website. Click these links to be redirected to DGCA's list of approved doctors for Class 1 and Class 2 medicals
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After being deemed fit, one must decide whether they want to undergo flight training in India or outside India, after which the next step is to decide whether you want to complete your DGCA theoretical exams first, or attempt them after flying. Note that these two steps are interchangeable; for instance, the trainee might decide to clear their theoretical exams first, to allow them some time to think over their flight training destination and examine their options.
Here's a flow chart overviewing the series of steps to earn a CPL.
Important Points to Note
- The following is a guide for those wishing to pursue their Commercial Pilot License on their own, or the "Conventional" method. Trainees must apply for jobs post completing their CPL or choose to go for a Type Rating, based on their budget and vacancies available in the market at that particular moment of time. More on Type Ratings below.
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- To learn about Cadet Pilot Programs wherein a job is guaranteed on successful completion of the course, click here.
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- To obtain a CPL by completing Flight School in India, one must clear the following exams:
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Air Navigation
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Meteorology
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Air Regulations
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Technical - General
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Technical - Specific
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Radio Telephony Restricted Aeronautical (RTR-A)
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- ​For those who are going to attend Flight School anywhere abroad, they must only clear the following
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Air Navigation
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Meteorology
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Air Regulations
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RTR- A*
- After flying abroad, one can also choose to give the Nav-Composite paper, which ​is a paper with a mix of both Navigation and Meteorology, instead of giving them seperately.
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* If you will be training in a commonwealth country like Canada/Australia/South Africa etc you are only required to clear Part 1 (of total 2 parts) of the RTR-A exam to be eligible for an Indian CPL.
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- It is of the utmost importance one realises that although you can start flight training abroad before actually clearing the DGCA exams, we strongly advise you clear your papers beforehand as you require them for conversion of the foreign license to an Indian CPL. In case you decide to give these exams after flight training abroad, you will have a period of 6 months to complete the exams, failing which you will be required to fly a certain extra number of hours and consequently, spend significantly more time and money. This is known as recency flying.
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What is a Type Rating?
Just like we have specialisations in fields like medical science eg. an MBBS student specialising in neurosurgery, in aviation we have specific courses specialising in the operation of a particular aircraft.
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In order to fly for an airline, a commercial pilot must go through a demanding and stimulative course of study known as a type rating. Here, the pilot already possessing a CPL undergoes specific training to fly a particular aircraft. For example, pilots who fly for IndiGo are typically Air bus A320 type rated, as IndiGo primarily flies the A320 family of aircraft. Training is done mostly on full motion simulators and the training duration customarily lasts for 60 days, on an average.
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Key Points
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- A Type Rating can be done once being selected by the airline, or before applying to airlines for a job. This is solely based on the vacancies and opportunities in the market in that instance.
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- This is an entirely self sponsored course, whether you decide to do it before or after securing an airline job.
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- Often times there are more vacancies for Type Rated pilots than there are for CPL holders.
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- If one opts for a Cadet Pilot Program for their flight training, the total cost of the program includes the Type Rating expenses and is pre-determined where the training location will be and what aircraft the Cadet will be Type Rated on.
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- It is important to beware of and avoid "cheap" Type Rating centres which offer you training and certifications on a particular aircraft at half the price. The problem with these such centres is that although they are less expensive, many airlines don't accept the Type Rating certification, since they have their own list of approved Type Rating centres. As a result, you will have had wasted your time and money, since you'll be asked to re-do the Type Rating at an airline approved centre.
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How do I pick a flight school?
Picking a flight school where you will undergo your entire training from having no experience of flying to flying for 200 hours and obtaining a CPL is a crucial decision, and one that comes with a lot of commitment, both financial and time wise. Therefore, it is instrumental that an aspiring pilot picks the fight flight school having all factors like budget, training duration and training location among others in mind.
There is no single "best" flight school, everybody has different limitations and therefore, you must select the flight school that is best suited to you. With that being said, here's a few guidelines that you can use to compare flight schools and determine whether a particular flight school is of quality or not :-
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Fleet: The number of aircraft a flight school has is one of the most important points of comparison amongst flight schools. The greater the aircraft, the faster your flying process will be facilitated.
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Instructors: The student to instructor ratio is crucial, as again, more instructors equates to more time spent on you and your training.
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Record: The safety and maintenance record of the aircraft at the flight school decodes how well organised a flight school is.
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Cost per Hour: The average cost of flight per hour and instruction from a flight instructor per hour is usually mentioned on the fee breakdown of the flight school, and is important when considering budget.
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Glass Cockpit: Glass cockpit aircraft used during training makes one's transition from a small Cessna aircraft to big Airbus and Boeing planes easier, hence you adapt quicker to the type rating phase.
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