Make a High Flying Career in Aviation

Being a pilot or an air hostess could be anybody’s dream career. The job involves lot of traveling, glamour and lot of money. It is a well-paying job so youngsters dream to pursue a career in aviation. In fact, all jobs related to the aviation sector are lucrative. However, it is also a rigorous job and demands a lot out of you and involves a certain amount of risk on daily basis. The work hours are generally long but the perks are high. One also gets to travel the world while on the job and meet interesting people. All these things make a career in aviation a very sought after option. Also, with the upcoming travel industry and the upgradation, liberalization and privatization of airports, there is a huge demand for the people who have done career training in aviation.

Today, there are many state-run and private training schools that provide pilot training and air hostess training. Different schools offer aviation courses of different duration.

It is always advisable to take up courses related to the aviation industry from a recognized and prestigious career institute. Aviation courses mainly include training about flying operation, aircrew, aircraft, air traffic management, technical aspects of flight, aviation safety, regulatory policies and economics of airport.

The Indian Institute of Aeronautics based in Delhi offers 3-year AME Licence Training Programs, as approved by the Director General of Civil Aviation. For enrolment in the course, one has to apply as per admission notice displayed in newspapers. The courses usually commence in July every year. For foreign students, admission is subject to security clearance from the Government of India.

Indian Institute of Aeronautical Science based in Jamshedpur offers a course in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. The course usually commences in January and July every year. The admissions are done on the basis of merit list prepared on an entrance examination. The duration of this course is three years and it is divided over six months, which includes six months on the job practical training on flying aircraft. The eligibility for this course is that the candidate must have passed Intermediate Science, 10+2 (or its equivalent) with 50% Marks in Physics & Mathematics or a 3-year Diploma and degree in any branch of engineering with minimum 50% marks. Foreign students shall have qualification equivalent to any prescribed above or "O" level of U.K. or equivalent.

Another good institute is Avalon Aviation Academy, which is an enterprise of Aptech Limited. It offers the following courses: Diploma in Professional Cabin Crew Services, Diploma in Professional Ground Staff services, IATA / UFTAA- Foundation Course, Certificate Course in Fares & Ticketing Virgin Atlantic/ GTMC Courses and Personality Development courses. Avalon Aviation Academy has centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune etc.

The state owned institutes include: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi, Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Amritsar Aviation Club, Amritsar, Punjab, Bihar Flying Institute, Patna, Bihar, Bombay Flying Club, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat Flying Club, Vadodara, Gujarat, Government. Flying Training Institute, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, Government Flying Training Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, Government. Flying Training School, Bangalore, Karnataka, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Karnal, Haryana, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Hissar, Haryana, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Pinjore, Haryana, Ludhiana Aviation Club, Ludhiana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh Flying Club, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Flying Club, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Madras Flying Club, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Northern India Flying Club, Jallandhar, Punjab, Patiala Aviation Club, Patiala, Punjab, Rajasthan State Flying School, Jaipur, Rajasthan, UP State Flying Training Institute, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Flying Training Institute, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam Flying Club, Guwahati, Assam, Banasthali Vidyapith Gliding and Flying Club, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Aviation Training Academy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Delhi Flying Club, New Delhi, Kerala Aviation Training Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Nagpur Flying Club, Nagpur, Maharashtra, Jamshedpur Cooperative Flying Club, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

There is wide ranging scope in India for those who successfully complete courses in aviation. One may find jobs in aerospace / aviation engineering, aviation maintenance, flight crew, management aviation, civil aviation department of India, avionics, cargo management, reservation sector, cabin crew, operation executive, air hostess etc. The major companies in aviation include Sahara India, Kingfisher Airlines, Indian Airlines, India International Airways Ltd., Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Deccan Airlines, Trans Asian Aviation, Bird Group, and many others.

To be a pilot the basic prerequisites are that you must have completed your Class XII under the 10+2 system or its equivalent with a minimum of 50 per cent marks in Mathematics and Physics. Minimum 16 years of age is required to be eligible for a Private Pilot License and 17 for a Commercial Pilot License. The vision in one eye must be perfect. General physical fitness is also mandatory.

Before going for the plunge, one must remember that however glamorous and exciting it may sound, the job requires intensive training and risk. A pilot is responsible for the lives of passengers as well as the aircraft itself.