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| Ever since planes started flying in the skies,
aviation has been a glamorous vocation sought after by many, but achieved
by only a few selected persons. The thrill of being on the controls
of an aircraft
flying at hundreds of kilometres per hour, zooming up with not even the sky as the limit, and reaching far away destinations within hours, cannot be equaled by any other feeling. The only way a person can become a pilot or an aeronautical engineer without spending lakhs of rupees, is by joining the Indian Air Force (This option has already been covered in this column three weeks ago). For others, it is a hard and expensive struggle, but very rewarding in terms of the pure thrill of enjoying yourself and being paid for it. Aeronautical engineering is a regular four year professional course offered by a number of universities in the country. ENTRY: Many civil pilot training
schools offer Private Pilot License (PPL) which can generally be done in
about 9 months, and the advanced Commercial Pilot License (CPL) which takes
about two to three years, since one needs to complete the required number
of flying hours. Barring a few scholarships in government flying schools,
the training is very expensive, costing up to 3-5 lakhs. Abroad the
same training can be done in a much shorter time, but the cost would be
three to five times higher. Adto those who have completed their 10+2
with Physics and Maths. Abroad one can get
APTITUDE: To become a pilot one needs to be good in calculations, have a sharp concentration and quick decision making ability. Physical fitness and stamina are equally important, and good eyesight is essential. It helps to have a sense of adventure and a desire to travel, including keeping odd hours. Aeronautical engineers require the same aptitude as in any other field of engineering viz. good mathe-logical ability, capacity to work with hands, familiarity with machines and computers, etc. THE FUTURE: Jobs at the entry
level are difficult, particularly for those qualified from Indian schools
which do not impart multi-engine aircraft training. Salaries are
high once a person gets a job, and although there are really no promotions
beyond commander, one can keep upgrading oneself
SOME ADDRESSES: For pilot training:
BATS Aviation Academy, 61 Cambridge Rd, Ulsoor,Bangalore 560008 Taneja Aerospace, 305, Mota Chambers, 9 Cunningham Road, Bangalore 560052 For aeronautical engineering:
for all IITs
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