Still
amongst the better-paid and more attractive jobs going, in popular imagery the
profession of a pilot has a special mystique attached to it. So those who do
succeed in realizing the almost universal childhood dream of earning their wings
are generally a pretty pleased lot. Although the employment scenario has been
tight in the last decade, thanks to the waves of change sweeping the ‘civil
aviation industry and the entry of several new private and international
airlines, more aspirants may be able to realize this dream in the near future.
Aviation sector has opened avenues for Pilots, Co-Pilots, Aircraft
Maintenance Engineers, Cabin Crew, Technicians and Ground Duty Service Officers.
In 2003-04, India had only three domestic airlines with 123 commercial jets. But
today, the scenario has changed.
If a person has a scientific bent of
mind, he can opt for a career as a Pilot, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, etc.
and if a person is good at communication and interpersonal skills, she/he can
consider a career as an Air Hostess or a Flight Steward.
Commercial
pilots are employed by national airlines like Indian Airlines or Air India and
by private airlines as well as by foreign airlines. With the Asia Pacific region
emerging as the pivot of the world, the aviation industry in India is poised for
takeoff. From a mere 175 aircrafts in 2004, it is expected that by 2010 around
400 odd aircrafts will zip across the Indian skies.
The aviation
industry employs about 3000 pilots and there is an immediate shortage of 450
planes that will be added to the activity expanding Indian fleet in the next
five years and a shortage of additional 4,500 pilots stares us in the face
(Total requirement: 7500 pilots by 2010)
Training to be a pilot can be a
pretty expensive affair that can push you into a financial air pocket! From
April 2001 all DGCA-subsidized rates have been discontinued. However, various
states offer separate subsidies of varying amounts up to the PPL stage.
Considering the high cost of aviation fuel, you have to pay the steep commercial
rate, which is in the region of Rs.2750-3500 per hour. 40 free flying
scholarships are awarded to SC/ST trainee pilots every year. Under this scheme,
apart from free flying training, student pilots receive financial aid.
While a private school may charge as much as Rs.15-20 lakh, the cost of
obtaining a CPL in a government-sponsored school works out to Rs.10 lakh plus
boarding and lodging, which add up to another Rs.1, 500/- p.m.
Salaries
for commercial pilots are very attractive, ranging anywhere from Rs.40, 000/- to
whopping Rs.4 lakh p.m., depending on the airline. Besides the obvious thrill of
going places and seeing the world in five-star comfort, there are several
attractive perks that go with the job.
Where to
Look for Work: Besides Indian there are several private
airlines like Jet Airways, Sahara, Air Deccan, Kingfisher, currently expanding
their fleet and range of operations in India. There are several other
international airlines that operate through India like United Airlines, Air
Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Quantas, KLM, Lufthansa, United Airlines, Cathay
Pacific, British Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysian Airlines and China Airlines to
name a few.
You could start off as a trainee pilot on smaller aircraft.
Besides large corporate houses that own private aircraft, there are about 40
aviation companies in the country that rent out helicopters and small aircraft
(for a fee of Rs.30, 000-Rs.1.30 lakh per hour + 15% air travel tax.)
Helicopter
Pilots: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) Rotary Wing
Academy at Bangaluru would be a good bet. However in compliance with the
flight-safety requirements that are being followed worldwide, the DGCA has
recently upped the mandatory flying time from the present 100 hours to 150 hours
before the CHPL can be issued. So correspondingly, the earlier fee of Rs.10
lakh, which makes it rather steep. Also I’ve heard some rumblings about the
non-availability of training aircraft. But on the flip side, the placements for
helicopter pilots are far better than their CPL counterparts.
Lest you
think this is only a male prerogative, remember Indian Airlines was the first to
have a women pilot (Durba Bannerjee) command the wide bodied Airbus 300 way back
in the early 60’s. Today it has scores of women Airbus pilots on its rolls. The
Indian Air Force has over 200.
Aptitude There are certain
attributes to be a Pilot. First of all, one should not be afraid of heights and
should have a passion to fly those machines. One should possess a good
coordination of mind and limbs. The ability to remain calm under any
circumstance and apply theoretical knowledge into practice while flying is very
important.
A Pilot has to be quick thinker as he is the one who is
responsible for the lives of many. One should have patience, commitment,
responsibility and self-confidence. A lot of hard work, stamina, adaptability to
follow difficult time schedules, good team spirit etc., are also required in an
aspirant. Most importantly, one must have emotional stability in crisis
situations.
EligibilityTo
get a CPL, one should have passed 10+2 examination with Physics and Mathematics
and must be between the age of 18-30 years. The minimum height should be 5 feet
and eyesight 6/6.
Air Hostess
/ Flight StewardThe trouble free, comfortable and safe
journey of a passenger is of prime importance to the aviation sector. In this
regard, it is an Air Hostess / Flight Steward whose role becomes really crucial
as they are the first one to welcome passengers aboard an aircraft.
Their job also includes giving instructions to the passengers on how to
use safety measures during crisis, catering foods and drinks to the passengers
and answering passengers| inquiries on facilities and services. They are
supposed to provide First Aid to passengers who feel sick.
By the count,
the various airlines in the country have almost 10,207 Cabin Crew members in
2007-08 and the number is expected to grow to almost 20,284 by
2011-12.
Aptitude:To
be an Air Hostess or a Flight Steward, one should have common sense, sense of
responsibility, initiative quality, friendly outgoing personality, politeness,
physical stamina and the capacity to work for long hours on the feet.
The ability to react quickly in time of emergency, presence of mind,
systematic approach, unruffled appearance, a well-modulated pleasant voice and a
proportionate figure with a graceful carriage are the important traits required
in an Air hostess or a Flight Steward.
EligibilityThe
educational qualification for an Air Hostess / Flight Steward training programme
is 10+2 or a graduate degree with a diploma / degree in Hotel Management or
Tourism Management. The aspirant must be eligible to hold an Indian Passport and
should be below twenty-five years of age with proportionate weight and
height.
Further, one must be unmarried, with normal eyesight of 6/6
increased vision in each eye. Fluency in English, Hindi and knowledge of an
international language is an added advantage.
Selection
ProcedureThe applicant should be physically fit with a
pleasing personality and clear complexion. After the initial screening of
applicants is completed, the airline company calls them for a written
examination, usually of the objective type (multiple choice).
Those who
qualify in the written examination have to appear for a group discussion
followed by a personal interview of successful candidates. If selected, the
applicant will be on training for two to three months in which one can learn
about service, grooming, safety and first aid, after which one is initially put
on trainee flights.
Flight
TrainingThe flight training covers several topics, each of
which deals with technical or nontechnical aspects of the
aircraft.
Beginning with the history of aviation, the candidates are made
to learn in-flight service, passenger handling, passenger psychology, service of
meals on the aircraft, the art of conversation, transactional analysis,
emergency evacuation system, personal grooming and hygiene, First Aid,
confidence building, handling of visually impaired passengers, making
announcements, emergency demonstration, etc.
ProspectsThere
is a great demand for Air Hostesses/Flight Stewards in the Aviation sector.
Flight
PurserAfter three to five years, depending upon your
performance, Flight Steward/Air Hostess is eligible to become a Flight Purser.
Your responsibilities increase as you take over the charge of the Cabin Crew on
board. Salaries generally get double up.
Ground
Job:You can join here directly or after having served on the
flight for long, you can opt for ground jobs in sections like staff-training and
human resource management in the corporate office.
Remuneration The Cabin Crew
can get up to Rs.40, 000 per month for domestic flights whereas upto Rs.1,
50,000 for international flights on wide-bodied aircrafts. The ground staff can
also earn Rs.20, 000 - Rs.30, 000 per month.
Aircraft
Maintenance Engineer The Aircraft Maintenance Engineers play
a stellar role in Aviation sector as they are the ones who ensure that the
aircraft is in a perfect condition before take-off. An engineer needs to be
completely focused on safety as the casual attitude can pose a danger to the
lives of people on board.
The Aircraft Engineer has to certify the
aircraft fit for release. The job ensures the availability of safe aircraft at
the best possible cost. The Engineering and Maintenance department of an airline
performs scheduled and unscheduled tasks, leading to restoration of the expected
airworthiness.
The job includes diagnostic and mechanical duties covering
maintenance, repair, trouble shooting and overhaul, in addition to performing
inspection and modification on an aircraft.
Aptitude
An Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, at times, has to work
under stringent conditions, tough deadlines and harsh weather in difficult
locations. To overcome all this, one should be logical, focused and have
perseverance.
Eligibility
The basic and minimum qualification required to be an
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer is a Senior School Certificate with Mathematics,
Chemistry and Physics as main subjects. Candidates are required to undergo a
3-year certificate course on aircraft maintenance engineering, conducted by
various training schools approved by the Director-General of Civil
Aviation.
Candidates also need to undergo structured aircraft type
courses in the mechanical or avionics stream and obtain regulatory licences or
approvals on a type of aircraft. Candidates need an engineering degree for
career in support services in technical services, engineering planning quality
assurance and logistics. Courses on structured aircraft type maintenance are
also desirable.
Other
JobsFlight and
Ground Instructors:The Flight Instructors give training to
the Pilots on some systems and are mainly with engineering background. On the
other hand, the Ground Instructors are from operations background.
Flight
Instructors are usually senior Pilots who are employed within the airline. They
usually perform line duties as they are not released due to shortage of
pilots.
Flight
Despatchers :Flight Dispatchers| are those people who give a
briefing to the Pilots before a flight on the weather, flight path and
optimising the flight.
Factor
Facilitators :The Factor Facilitators give training to the
cockpit and cabin crew on resource management. They also undertake joint
sessions of cabin crew, engineers and cockpit crew on working
together.
Aviation
Psychologists :The Factor Facilitators give training to the
cockpit and cabin crew on resource management. They also undertake joint
sessions of cabin crew, engineers and cockpit crew on working
together.
The Aviation Psychologists assess the attitudes of the Pilots
through psychometric tests. They also guide the young cabin crew to overcome the
problems faced by them at their job.
Aviation
Doctors:The Aviation Doctors conduct a rigorous medical
check-up of the Pilots and other employees as per the norms of Aviation Medicine
and the Central Medicine Establishment, both run by the Air Force. The airlines
have to look thir slots months’ in advance due to high rush of employees from
different airlines.
The white-collar jobs on the ground, airport and
custom services-people who do check-in, ticketing, etc., are also on the rise.
After acquiring Air Sahara, Jet Airways has 11,000 people as its employees
whereas Sahara (renamed JetLite) has 4,000 people.
Prospects:With
the privatisation and foreign collaboration increasing everyday, the future is
very bright in Aviation sector. Most airline offices are looking to increasing
their fleet and this itself is opening avenues for the
aspirants.
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