How to Become a Pilot?

6 min readJun 10, 2024

What are the Types of Pilot Licenses?

✓ PPL Private Pilot License:

PPL is a license to fly your private aircraft. With a PPL, you can take your friends and family for a spin in your aircraft, but you can’t fly commercially with airline companies.

SPL Student Pilot License:

The flying school gives the SPL to the aspirant when he joins them for flying training.

CPL Commercial Pilot License: This is the license you get if you pass all your ground exams and flying tests after 200 hours of flight training. An airline company hires the candidate as a first officer only when he gets the CPL.
ATPL Airline Transport Pilot License: The pilot gets his ATPL and gets certified as the captain of an aircraft upon completing a minimum of 1500 hours as a co-pilot and passing his additional exams.

1. Eligibility for the Pilot Course

Passing 10+2 exams in math and physics is mandatory for CPL. But if the candidate does not clear the two subjects, then he could separately appear for math and physics through NIOS (National Open Schooling) and clear these exams.
Class 2 Medicals (approx. fee: ₹ 5,000): Before starting anything, get your Class II medical checkup done by any ‘DGCA-empaneled’ doctor in your city. There is no point in going any further if you aren’t medically fit to become a pilot. The DGCA has approved selective doctors to conduct these tests and has given this information on its website.
These are basic medical tests. Tests include eye, ENT, hearing, ECG, height and weight, blood tests, and abdomen ultrasound. Some unfitness may be correctable with medicines, and some may be permanent. Colour blindness, heart problems, diabetes, thyroid problems, etc. are permanent disabilities.
Police Verification: The local police issue a verification certificate to the candidate, verifying his home address and a clean record.

It is your choice.

You can either clear ground exams before you start flying (by studying on your own or by joining a CPL ground class) or clear them simultaneously with flying training (by joining a flying school). You can Prepare for the DGCA CPL Exam by enrolling in the Top Crew Aviation Training Institute. Its faculty consists of highly experienced instructors who themselves work for commercial airlines.

Note: The Top Crew Aviation Academy has prepared an in-depth foundation course for all the CPL subjects. It prepares the candidate thoroughly for the DGCA ground exams. If you take this option, you can contact www.topcrewaviation.com and get a scholarship from TCA, depending on your exam.

2. How to Obtain a Computer Number or Document

Computer Number (₹ 500 DCGA Fee): The DGCA has put up an excellent PDF user guide on www.pariksha.dgca.gov.in on the process of getting a computer number. The DGCA issues a computer number to the candidate, which he uses to apply for the online DGCA exams. He needs to register at pariksha.dgca.gov.in and upload a PDF of the documents.

Candidates need to send a photo, signature, and birth date proof to get the computer number.
He also sends X and XII pass certificates, mark sheets, a board verification certificate, an Aadhar card, and permanent address proof to the DGCA authorities.
The candidate maintains applicable pages of the flying log book (first and last pages) to produce before the authorities.
Ensure that the physical application and attested enclosures reach DGCA within 10 days of the online application. Proper documentation ensures the timely allocation of the computer number.

The candidates require their board verification certificates and Class 10 and 12 Class mark sheets. He needs to apply to the school board for a board certificate. CBSE graduates from 2004 onwards can download verification from the results archives at www.resultsarchives.nic.in/verification and get it offline. Checking your verification offline takes time. You send your grades to one of the 10 CBSE regional offices for verification. The DGCA website provides clear instructions on how to get a computer number. Pilot Course Subjects and Exam Fees.

CPL Exams (INR 2,500 per exam)

Once you have a computer number, you can apply for online exams.

For CPL, There are 5 Subject Exams:

Air Regulations (Air Regulations + Aeromedical Factors)
Meteorology
Navigation (covering topics of navigational instruments, radio aids, mass and balance, and performance)
Tech General (Aerodynamics, Airframe, Engines, Electrics)
Technical Specific (exam on the type of aircraft you did flying training on)

The DGCA publishes the exam schedule on https://www.pariksha.dgca.gov.in/ every three months. The DGCA conducts these exams every three months. When the website opens, apply for exams at your chosen exam centre and pay the fees online at bharatkosh.gov.in. Exams have a validity of 5 years. After passing the first exam, you have 5 years to meet all other conditions and get your license. The candidate needs to retake the expired exam if he has not cleared it.

eGCA ID (free): The DGCA has put up norms and stipulations related to licensing, such as FRTOL, medicals, and CPL/ATPL applications, on its website, called eGCA. The candidate registers at the website https://dgca.gov.in/ to obtain the eGCA ID.

3. Flying Training For Pilots

Flying Training Cost (INR 40 Lac)

The flying school issues a Student Pilot License (SPL) to the candidate after he completes the Class II medical test. However, it issues the license (SPL) to the student before he starts flying training.

Join a good flight training school. You’ll need to fly a minimum of 200 hours for CPL. The candidates getting 190 hours will be on a single-engine a/c and 40 hours on a multi-engine a/c (so that you can get a ME aircraft endorsed in your CPL). The duration of the flying training course is around 16–18 months. Within these 200 hours, you will do cross-country, solo, and night flights as per the syllabus. Some schools also offer ground training. Flying and ground classes will progress concurrently. A DGCA examiner will administer a skill test once the candidate finishes the flying curriculum.

How to Choose a Flight School.

To choose a flight school, an aspirant must talk to students who have flown from various flying schools. Their experiences are more valuable than what flying schools say about themselves.

The candidate should mainly ask the following questions:

What is the flying school’s safety/accident record?

How is the Flying School’s Reputation?

Does it offer quality flight and ground training?
Do they cut corners or over-log (fly 1 hour and show 2 hours in your flying log book)?
Do they send the candidate on ‘solo’ flights?
What is the type, vintage, and quality of aircraft they have?
Airlines prefer pilots trained on ‘glass cockpits’ (digital screens) over those trained on old analogue instrument cockpits.
Their a/c should be newer and better maintained, which means safer flights.
As per the DGCA syllabus for CPL, the candidates need to fly a minimum of 10 hours on a multi-engine aircraft. Only then will the DGCA endorse the ME on their CPL.
The candidates Check the number of teachers and their qualifications to get the best learning experience.
The candidate should check the number of instructors available, along with their qualifications.
The flying club’s CGI (chief ground instructor) and CFI (chief flying instructor) must be experienced and knowledgeable. More instructors in school means faster course completion.
The candidate should know the details of the airport used for flying training.
Learning to fly at a bustling airport teaches radio communication and navigation through busy airspace. To become a proficient pilot, this training boosts skills and confidence.
Food, accommodation, and hidden fees.
The school should offer you good, hygienic food and clean accommodation.
Staying on campus helps you focus.
He should know whether ragging takes place on campus. finally, the candidate should check the cost of flying training.
Although the cost of flying training is a consideration subject for candidates, invest in quality flying training schools. Cost matters, but focus on quality. It’s worth the investment in safety.

Flying Training Schools Abroad?

Flying schools abroad can give quality training to a candidate, with better infrastructure in place. They may also provide the training at a reasonable cost. The DGCA does recognize a CPL issued by an ICAO member country. However, upon returning to India, the candidate must pass the ground exams again to convert the CPL to an Indian CPL. He will have to take flying skill tests with a DGCA examiner (after flying for 10 hours).