FAQs

The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviaton) is the regulatory and licensing authority in India under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is headed by a Director General who is normally an officer of the Indian Civil Services (IAS).

SPL stands for Student Pilot’s License. It is a license issued by a Flight Training Organization (FTO) for flying as a student pilot supervised by an instructor.

CPL stands for Commercial Pilot’s License. It is a license issued to any qualified person that wants to earn income as a professional pilot. The minimum qualification requirements for issue of this license are:

• 10+2 or senior secondary with physics and math
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Class 1 medical certificate School
• 200 hours of flying training with other specific flying requirements for PIC, Night, Instrument and Cross Country.
• Pass DGCA written exams

This is a term used for an aircraft operation that requires more than one pilot. The Pilot Flying is the one responsible for the flight path and navigation of the aircraft and supervision of PM duties.

This is a term used for an aircraft operation that requires more than one pilot. The Pilot Monitoring is the one responsible for the radio communications, checklists, systems management, paperwork, and supervision of PF duties.

MCC is Multi Crew Coordination and is a qualification requirement for a Type Rating on a Jet Aircraft. This comprises 20 hours of training in a flight simulator as Pilot Flying and Pilot Not Flying. JOC is Jet Orientation Course undertaken to familiarize a crew with the concepts of flying a Jet Engine Aircraft. JOC/JIT typically is 12 Hours of classroom training. JIT is Jet Induction Training and is just a different terminology for JOC.

A Type Rating is a qualification from DGCA required to qualify a CPL holder for a particular “TYPE” of aircraft. A CPL Holder will only be authorized to fly as a “First Officer” or “Co-Pilot” on any aircraft weighing over 5700 kgs.

A Class I medical is a medical examination of a candidate desirous of getting a CPL. It comprises blood, urine, heart, lungs, eyes, ears, brain and other general health checks to determine if a person is fit to become a commercial pilot. Initial medical usually lasts two days and then the recurring (annual or biannual) lasts a few hours. This examination is conducted at a select few places authorized by the DGCA and the same information can be obtained from their website.

A Class II medical is a medical examination mandatory to apply for a Class I medical. This is a more basic medical and is of no significance for an aspiring commercial pilot other than it is required for issue of a Computer Number and applying for a Class I medical.

Radio Telephony is a technique for communicating on the aircraft radio. This involves using procedures and phraseology used worldwide and requires a license.

This is a Flight Radio Telephone Operator License which is mandatory for issue of a CPL. It is required for communicating on radio.

Radio Telephony Restricted is a license issued by the Ministry of Telecommunications and is a mandatory requirement for issue of a CPL. It is obtained by the following methods:

• From appearing in the RTR exam held in India
• Obtaining an RTR from a commonwealth country and converting to an Indian RTR

This is the time for which a pilot is performing a duty. This includes flying and non-flying duties. Maximum Duty time is laid down by the DGCA and cannot be exceeded other than in exceptional circumstances.

This is the time for which a pilot is performing a FLIGHT duty. This includes ONLY flying duties and is measured from Brakes Off to Brakes On. Maximum FLIGHT Duty time is laid down by DGCA and cannot be exceeded other than in exceptional circumstances.

Between any two duty periods there is a mandatory rest period of an absolute minimum of 8 hours as per the rules, but this may be higher depending on the type of duty undertaken.

You need to have a CPL followed by a Type Rating, both issued by the DGCA.

It takes 1 to 2 years to get a CPL in India once you have decided to become a pilot. Some have reduced that period down to 12 months but mostly flying schools in India are taking longer than that.

It takes 2-3 months to get a TYPE RATING provided all prerequisites have been fulfilled.

The main reason for this time is the limited infrastructure and shortage of qualified flight instructors, availability of aircraft and supply of aviation fuel. Flying schools in India also have a high student to aircraft and student to instructor ratio resulting in delays during training.

If you do not meet this requirement, you can pursue these subjects (Physics and Math level 10+2) via the National Institute of Open Schooling to achieve the desired grade. (https://www.nios.ac.in/student-information-section.aspx)

The medical standards are quite normal. The percentage of people that are found to be medically unfit is very low. If the vision is correctable with spectacles, there is no limitation with wearing glasses.

The first step is to get a class II medical followed by a computer number. For more information on how to get a computer number, click HERE.

The typical hidden costs include travel, living, loss of time, delays due to not passing exams, and delays in flight training and checks. Other delays and expenses can be incurred due to remedial training, which, however, is usually to the student pilot’s benefit.

Choosing the right flight school is undoubtedly an important decision. There is a big difference in the quality of training between flight schools such as their aircraft quality and serviceability, the quality of the instructors, and training processes and standards. Safety, accommodation and food are also very important factors, especially for vegetarians.

An airline pilot typically works year-round, with vacation time governed by labor laws and airline policies. In addition to vacation, pilots usually get 5-15 days off per month, depending on the aircraft they fly. The DGCA regulates pilots’ working hours, setting maximum flight hours per week, month, and year, along with mandatory rest periods to ensure they are well-rested. Discipline is crucial for maintaining rest, alertness, and clarity on the job.

Usually, a commercial airplane is manned by two pilots. One a Captain and the other a First Officer. For training flights, there may be up to two Captains and occasionally a third safety pilot. For long distance flights of over 9-10 hours, 3 or even 4 pilots may be required as per the length of flight and the rest period enroute.

Pilots have challenging schedules sometimes when they fly at nighttime, but the rest is regulated by law and gives ample time for recovery from such flights which are also limited in number within a week. Work timings can vary daily, but usually in domestic flight operations, one is working during either the morning, afternoon or evening.

Pilots have rest periods which are established by law. During their rest periods, they cannot be assigned flight duties or any other duties and the rest period between flights allows them to recover well before their next duty.

The number of night duties is limited by regulations. After a few night duties, it is mandatory for a pilot to get some time off to recover from the late-night cycle.

Maximum Flight Duty Time permitted is governed for a duty, a week, a month and a year. The maximum flying hours allowed in a year is 1000 hours.

Pilots typically get 30 days of annual leave, which must be planned and allocated in advance. They also get at least one mandatory day off in a week.

At least 10 pilots are required to fly each airplane for short-haul operations and about 20 for long-haul. Nearly half of those are First Officers and the other half Captains and there is some provision for Instructor pilots and Examiner pilots. Airlines in India have about 1600 airplanes on order for delivery by 2035.

To become a Captain, you will need an ATPL license, which is obtained after 1500 hours of flying and passing some DGCA exams. A pilot requires about three years of flying experience with an airline as a First Officer, which means approximately 3000 flying hours. Some airlines operating small airplanes upgrade their First Officers to Captain with as little as 2000 hours of total flying time.

Once you have flying experience of at least 1500 to 2000 hours on an airline jet, you can seek employment globally. Some countries have very limiting labor laws so you will need a status to seek employment, but experienced pilots are in demand globally. To fly for a European airline, one needs an EASA (European Civil Aviation Authority) license, which must be obtained from a European training organization, but most other countries have a process for validating an Indian License. Currently, many Indian pilots are flying for airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Airlines, Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, US Bangla, Rwanda Airways, Cebu Airlines and many more based on their Indian license.

This depends on the airline’s policy. Some airlines give free tickets in limited numbers to their employees, but most airlines give significantly discounted (90% discounted) tickets to their employees and even though they are subject to availability, one can plan travel quite easily.

ID travel is a perk offered to staff of airlines where they can travel anywhere in the world with any signatory ID carrier (Almost all major airlines worldwide) by paying just 10% of the listed fare. These tickets are subject to load.

Many airlines offer commuting contracts where you can work 4-6 weeks and then get time off for about 4-6 weeks. Many people prefer these contracts because of the time off options.

The typical retirement age of pilots is 65 years all around the world. In many countries such as the USA, a pilot can continue to fly nonairline aircraft such as corporate aircraft or flying school aircraft if they can maintain a valid medical status.

The main challenges in the USA are the costs of training and living, along with the US visa application process. The average cost of obtaining a CPL in the USA is around $70,000, including hidden costs. Additionally, living expenses are at least $1,500 per month, bringing the total to about $85,000, plus visa and travel expenses, totaling around $84,000. It’s crucial to choose a Part 141 school instead of a Part 61 school. Following the DGCA curriculum requirements carefully is essential for successfully converting an FAA license to a DGCA license, as any lapses can lead to expensive conversion costs and delays. Personal safety is also a concern due to increasing law and order issues, and there is always a chance of not getting a US visa for flight training.

Canada has a robust civil aviation authority in Transportation Canada. The quality of infrastructure is not as good as in the US but there are some good quality flying schools offering excellent quality training. The real challenges here are identifying a school with good weather conditions and good student-to-instructor ratios. The schools get crowded in summertime with lots of hobby flyers resulting in delays in training. There is also a possibility of not getting a visa for pursuing flight training.

The international Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) mandates that every contracting state must have a system of recognizing a member state’s license. To fulfill this requirement, the DGCA of India has laid down requirements on fulfillment of which they can issue an Indian CPL to a CPL holder of a contracting state. Basically, through this process, a foreign CPL can be converted to an Indian CPL. This requires passing some examinations and fulfilling some flying checks.

If you have any questions that have not been answered by reading our website and going through our FAQs, request a call back or register for a counselling session with a Program Expert professional at the GATI office in Dwarka, New Delhi, India.

Pilots start on a good salary as soon as they get a job in an airline. Starting First Officer salaries are about INR 1,30,000 per month with a domestic airline on a turbo prop aircraft, whereas an experienced First Officer can earn up to INR 8,50,000 per month on an international airline on a wide-bodied aircraft. Besides the salary, many airlines offer housing, school fees for children and retirement benefits.

Pilots start on a good salary as soon as they get a job in an airline. Starting Captain salaries are about INR 4,50,000 per month with a domestic airline on a turbo prop aircraft, whereas an experienced Captain can earn up to INR 18,00,000 per month on an international airline on a wide-bodied aircraft. Besides the salary, many airlines offer housing, school fees for children and retirement benefits.

Pilot instructors can earn a salary of about INR 7,50,000 per month with a domestic airline on a turbo prop aircraft up to INR 22,00,000 per month on an international airline on a wide-bodied aircraft. Besides the salary, many airlines offer housing, school fees for children and retirement benefits.

The following are the advantages of joining the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program:

• Your job in IndiGo is assured before you even start flying an airplane
• All future First Officer inductions by IndiGo will be through this program
• You will undergo a world class training program
• Your airline induction will be seamless on completion of your training
• Your growth and progression will be very rapid as the airline is expanding for the next 15 years
• YYou will fly to many international sectors on the A321XLR
• You will fly transcontinental flights on Wide Bodied Aircraft
• You will get the opportunity to become instructors and examiners
• You can build a wholesome and fulfilling career

Garuda Aviation is a company of professional airline pilots. We have tens of thousands of hours of experience instructing and examining aircrew from all around the planet. We have experienced and highly knowledgeable instructors in our dedicated ground school. We have collaborations with only the best, and the most dependable flying schools whose solvency is an important consideration for our association. We also monitor the training of each of our students till they have obtained their license ensuring they always have airplanes to fly and instructors to train with. When you train with us, you will not waste your precious time looking for rules and regulatory processes because we guide you every step of the way, ensuring that your time is focused only on learning while we take care of the process. We offer training at our partner schools only after a thorough risk analysis of all factors, including living and transportation.

ou will save time, effort, and money by training with us because we uncover and lay bare all hidden costs that no one will tell you about. Many training institutions and schools do not uncover those hidden expenses that you will end up having to provide for after having exceeded your budget for training. That will not happen with Garuda Aviation. We manage the training process so efficiently that you will attain your license and training in the least possible time at the best cost.

The 43 Air School has a fleet of over 50 airplanes, including single engine, single engine complex and multi engine airplanes. They can induct as many airplanes as required to maintain a healthy student to aircraft ratio.

The 43 Air School has trained over 6000 pilots and has been in continuous operation since 1988. They are the most prestigious Flight School in South Africa. We have selected them for training our cadets because of the following reasons:

• Top quality instructors
• Top quality engineering
• Competency based training program
• Fully equipped self-contained campus
• On site ATC training school and simulator
• Indian and vegetarian food options

Our ground classes are scheduled to start on 06th Jan 2025.

The ground classes will be conducted at the following address: Ramphal Chowk, Sector 7, Dwarka, New Delhi.

The total cost of training is $127,000 for the first 30 cadet pilots that enroll. For details, see our pricing section.

Please see our pricing section.

As long as you perform to the expected standards during the training course and obtain the required licenses and certifications that we are training you for, IndiGo will recruit you as a Junior First Officer at the end of training. The letter of intent (LOI) issued by IndiGo after the selection process is their commitment to this project.

To check your eligibility, click HERE.

Your passport will be required before proceeding overseas for your flight training, which will be approximately 5 months after the initial registration.

If you do not meet this requirement, you can pursue these subjects (Physics, Math and English) via the National Institute of Open Schooling to achieve the desired grade. (https://www.nios.ac.in/student-information-section.aspx)

You need to be 18 years old on the last date of application for the initial screening.

You need to be 32 years of age or younger on the last date of application for the initial screening.

No, the candidate should have the result sheet for meeting the eligibility criteria to apply.

Yes, but you will undergo the entire training program with us. The credit from your past flying experience will not be considered for your training.

No, the current CPL License holders are not eligible for this program.

Please refer to our SELECTION section on the website.

The training duration for an average student is 21 months. This does not include the additional 1-2 months typically required for license issuance and endorsement by regulatory bodies, which can be somewhat unpredictable.

Please refer to our PROGRAM section on the website.

The safety of our students is our top priority. Port Alfred, a charming beach town in South Africa’s Southern Cape, is lively with tourists during vacation seasons. The year-round temperature ranges between 18-26°C, and the town boasts some of the best beaches and surf tides in the world. Cadet pilots will live and study on a fully self-contained campus with 24/7 video surveillance and security. Both 43 Air School and Port Alfred provide a safe and secure environment for living and learning.

Yes, we are in the process of tying up with some banks. Some portion of finance may be available as a personal loan, but you may need to provide collateral to the bank for the remaining amount.

Yes. You will be at an advantage.

You will be signing the following agreements with IndiGo:

• An agreement with IndiGo HR, whereby you agree to join IndiGo after completion of the program and work for a minimum period of 5 years with their sureties and undated cheques
• An agreement with Garuda Aviation for training services provided in India and overseas
• On completion of training, you will be required to sign a “Pilot Employment Agreement” with IndiGo

Yes. This is a part of the agreement with IndiGo, whereby you will need to submit an undated cheque of INR 30,00,000 at the signing of your LOI, which could be cashed by IndiGo in case of any violations of terms of your agreement with them.

Yes. Your training can be terminated anytime due to non-performance or disciplinary issues. Normally, this does not occur unless there is a serious performance or disciplinary issue. Every attempt will be made, including remedial or extra training to improve performance. In the case of disciplinary matters, there will be zero tolerance to any serious violation of the code of conduct, leading to immediate termination.