To become a commercial pilot you must get a Commercial Pilot License (CPL). But before you get a CPL, you must have a Student Pilot License (SPL). There are three pilot licenses, SPL, Private Pilot License (PPL), and CPL.

A CPL allows you to fly for airlines. Once you get an SPL, you can go for Private Pilot License (PPL) or Commercial Pilot License (CPL). But the PPL does not allow you to fly commercially and is generally taken up by those who have a passion for airplane flying.

Eligibility/Admission requirements

Age

For SPL - Not less than 16 years

For PPL - Not less than 17 years

For CPL - Not less than 18 year

Eye Sight

Your vision in one eye must be perfect - 6/6 eyesight. In the other eye, you could have an imperfection of 6/9, which must be correctable to 6/6.

Physical Fitness

You must be physically fit and free of any disease that can hamper normal functioning.
Educational Qualification

• Class 10 for SPL
  
• 10+2 with Maths and Physics with at least 50% marks

India

* Rs. 10-18 Lacs depending on the flying academy.

Abroad

* Rs. 18-25 Lacs, depending on the country and flying academy.

Pilot Training Course Duration

India

* Around 2 years

Abroad

* 6-12 months ( It may vary country to country)

Student Pilot License

• You must clear a written theory examination in Air Regulations, Aviation Meteorology and Air Navigation and Air Technical.

• You must obtain a medical certificate of fitness from doctors designated by the Director General of Civil Aviation. Only two bodies in India Air Force Central Medical Establishment in New Delhi and the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bangalore are authorised to give you a medical fitness certificate.

• You need a security clearance.

• You need to take an oral examination and an aptitude test.

• You need to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 10,000.

• If you clear the medical test and the exams, you will be granted the SPL.

• After you get a SPL, you can go ahead and get PPL and CPL. After getting the SPL you can directly go for a CPL. If you want to become a commercial pilot and get a job in the airline industry you need to have a CPL.
  

• After you obtain the SPL, you will be assigned an instructor to start your flying lessons. You will learn the basics of flying and your instructor will accompany you on flights.

• After 15 hours of flying with an instructor, you can fly solo and go cross-country as well.

•  To obtain a Private Pilot License, you need to fly a minimum of 60 hours. Of this, at least 20 hours should be solo flying and 5 hours should be cross-country flights.

• You also need to appear for the written theory examinations in subjects like Air Regulations, Aviation Meteorology, Air Navigation, Aircraft Engines and Seamanship.

• You need to obtain the medical fitness certificate from the AFCME or IAM.

• You must have passed Class XII or equivalent exam with Physics and Maths.

• Rs 3,500 per
  
• To get a PPL, you need at least 60 hours of flying. Thus the total flying expense is around Rs 210000.

• The age range for getting a CPL is between 18 years and 30 years.

• You need a minimum of 250 hours of flying to get this license.

• 150 hours have to be solo flying

• 25 hours of cross-country flying

• 10 hours of instrument flying (which means you rely only on the plane's instruments for flying without looking at the horizon or external assistance),

• 5 hours of flying in the night.

• A medical certificate from ACFME or IAM and theory tests in Air Regulations, Aviation Meteorology, Air Navigation, Technical and Planning are other important parts of the process.

• You can get the Private Helicopter License if you complete 40 hours of flight training with 15 hours of solo flying. You also need to take written exams on basic aviation subjects.

• To get a Commercial Helicopter Pilot License, you need 60 hours of flight training as well as appear for a written exam.

• Rs 900,000
  
• For a Commercial Helicopter Pilot License Rs 1300,000

• The fees at the premier flying school, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, Rae Bareilly are above Rs 16 lakh for CPL+PPL. The 18-month CPL course for those who already have a PPL costs around Rs 12 lakh.

The above mentioned licenses can only allow you to fly as a co-pilot. If you want to take over as captain, you need the Airline Transport Pilot's License, which is the highest aviation license available. Along with clearing written papers, you also need to clock a total of 1,500 flying hours and take medical tests.

Training Costs

• Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000 per hour.

• Often, the airline you work for may sponsor the training costs.