Even while 37 applications for setting up flying academies are pending for government clearance, the inexpensive fees of commercial pilot training courses in the US, South-east Asia and Australia, compared to India, are forcing aspiring pilots to go abroad.
While the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uraan Academy (IGRUA) — an autonomous flying institute under the central government — charges around Rs 19 lakh for its training course for a commercial pilot licence, a flying institute in the US charges around Rs 16 lakh for the same course.
What is more, the training period in the US academies is six months, while it can take up to two and a half years in India. According to norms laid down by the director-general of civil aviation, one can get a licence only after completing 200 hours of flying.
Even South-east Asia works out cheaper than India. Malaysian flying academies offer courses that take about a year but cost between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 12 lakh. The Philippines, which is one of the cheapest countries in the world for getting a pilot’s licence, charges Rs 9-10 lakh.
DEMAND SOARS
2007
2012
Number of aircraft
350
850
Number of pilots
2500
7500
Australia offers a range of academies giving training for Rs 16-18 lakh.
Little wonder, aspiring Indian pilots are winging their way to overseas pilot schools in large numbers. According to industry estimates, more than 60 per cent of the Indian pilots inducted in the past one year have been from foreign flying institutes.
And this trend is expected to continue for at least three years. With large growth in the aviation sector, there is a need for over 1,000 commercial pilots per year for the next five years.
However, while there are 42 training institutes in the country, of which only 25 are operational (14 are state-operated and 11 are run by private entrepreneurs), they have the capacity to churn out 300- 400 pilots annually, leaving a yawning gap of 600-700 pilots.
The private flying schools in India charge about Rs 16 lakh, which is at par with what is charged in the US.
But most of them do not offer multi-engine aircraft training, unlike in foreign academies. This training is necessary to get entry into any premier airline company in the country or the globe.
State-owned flying institutes charge a little lower, in the range of Rs 10 lakh. But most of them have such limited facilities that a student takes around three years to finish his course and still gets very limited flying experience.
“Students in state-owned flying institutes get around 20 hours of flying in 10 months. We got 200 hours of flying in five months,” said a pilot of a leading airline who got his training from a US academy.
Says Arun Lohiya, deputy chief executive, Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics Ltd, one of the largest private flying schools in the country: "The higher charges in India can be attributed to three heads — higher aviation fuel costs, higher maintenance costs and instructors charging exorbitant fees."
On average, an instructor in a flying school charges around Rs 3 lakh per month. "The institute has to pay him that much, or he can easily join an airline as a pilot where he would get a salary of a much range," adds Lohiya.
Also, no flying school in India has simulator training for aircraft like the A320 and the Boeing 737. Only the airlines have their own simulators for the family of aircraft used in their fleet.
"A pilot, therefore, has to undergo further simulator training of around five months, for which an amount is deducted from his salary or he has to sign a bond for 5-6 years. Institutes abroad have their own simulators and can provide training for such family of passenger aircraft," says Jagat Bedi, a passout of the Branson Flying Academy, Canada.
Pilot courses in US cheaper than in India
Anirban Chowdhury / New Delhi Sep 29, 2007, 00:12 IST
respected sir/madam i am doing my engineering 2nd year and my life time AIM is to become a PILOT..as i am not from the rich family please guide me and help me in gettin into a cheap and best pilot course n institute in abroad.. ph no:8220941916 Mail id:sakee2318@gmail.com Please help me
Please sir, i humbly wish to draw your attention that it is my dream to become pilot one day. But currently am pursing business administration in the university. Apparently am in my final year and hoping to graduate coming December 2011.Hence i would like to know whether i can still pursue my dream course, Pilot. Looking forward to your usual cooperation.
sir,my ambition is to become a pilot.but i am doing my IT engineering(3rd year) so what can i do to become a pilot sir i need all detail about coarse i.e., cost and duration of this coarse and how to get the application form and i also request you to send reply for me to my mail given
Sir,my ambition is to become a pilot. Sir i want to know how i can gave the application and how much will be the coast and time duration of this coarse and i also request u for the replay for me to my mail given.
dear sir,
i would like to become an pilot. to get an admission what i want to sir .how can i give the application. and how much will the coast and time durasion for this corses.
and i also request you replay for me to my mail given .
respected sir/madam i am doing my engineering and will finish in a year and my life time AIM is to become a PILOT..as i am not from the rich family please guide me and help me in gettin into a cheap and best pilot course n institute in abroad..
ph no:9743170508
Mail id:abhilinkme@gmail.com
Please help me
sir i am a student of telecommunication and networking engineering this my last semester so now onward it my ambitious to become a pilot so please tell me that what i do now where i apply what is the term and condition for applying commercial pilot.so please guide me as soon as possible i am waiting for your urgent response in this regard.
sir iam a plus two student i hav to bcom a pilot.so can u pls say me the cost and duration of theis pilot course.plsss.pls forward all the information to my id mohammedshibil9@gmail.com
Respected sir
i was a girl and not belonging to avery rich family but i want to become a very succesful poilet please send me all the information regarding the course and fees i was astudent of class 12
Dear Sir, i wish to study pilot in US, kindly provide the the details of Total Course Fee including all expence, duration of course, Marks eligibility in physics and maths. Thank You.
respected sir, i have great dream of flying aeroplane in sky. i am 12th passed with math , physics and chemistry. i want to become a pilot. please send me all the information about study of pilot about course duration ,fees ,elligibility,job scopes after study, best country to study pilot. please grant me all these information on my e mail id. thank you.
Hi sir..i hope to do a piloting course as soon as possible.can you please let me know the details to follow this course...what are the A/L results required and so on sir..and also how much money is needed,duration and all details about this subject..please grant me all information on my e-mail address..thank you very much sir.
who interest to do pilot course at others country , pl contact me mr.sankara@gmail.com
Posted by: Pankaj Verma
May 27 , 2010, 22:24 IST
Helllo sir,
I am pankaj verma. I want to know more about cpl couse plz guide me.and more about fees,duration,fee,aligibility.
my contact no is 9039527625 , 8081652356
Respected sir,i am just copleated +2 ,i would like to join cpl course . Can you guide me please,and more about fees,duration,fee,aligibility
Posted by: akbar
June 04 , 2010, 17:07 IST
hi mr. jinson in reply to ur blog postd, i would like to offer pilot training in best colleges of India for a low fee structure. for more details contact me at 09986402553 or reply me on mail :akbar_sa88@yahoo.com
sir i want to study pilot. please send me all the information about course duration ,fees,elligibility, best country to study pilot. etc. thank you sir.
respected sir, i have great dream of flying airplane in sky. i am 12th passed with math , physics and chemistry. i want to become a pilot but my family economic standard put brake on it. please send me all the information about study of pilot about course duration ,fees ,elligibility,job scopes after study, best countey to study pilot. please grant me all these information on my e mail id. thank you.
Dear Sir,
I want to know that how to apply for the course of pilot and its total fee and time duration & training institue name? Please send me these answers at the earliest as i despirately want to know about all these things. you can send me all these information on my e_mail id as given
Respected sir, I am bigyan aryal from Nepal student of diploma in electronic student of 3 years engineering course. I would like to know the duration of this course and also eligibility and course fee,physical fitness required for the course of pilote.Please guide me about the course about the duration and fees i would be thankful for your reply.
Respected Sir. I want to join pilot training course in U.S.A. Can u plz guide that what should I do, also tell me the education level that is required to join this cource. How much fees is required nd what is the duration of this course. Plz send me all the information immediately. I m Waiting for ur reply Sir. Thanking you.
sir,i want to know that how to apply for the course of pilot and its total fee and time duration? i have also heard that now pilots are not getting jobs because of the sudden crashes in the market and most of them are unemployed. why? please send me these answers at the earliest as i despirately want to know about all these things. you can send me all these information on my e_mail id as given sahsujit@ymail.com
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sir,i want to know that how to apply for the course of pilot and its total fee and time duration? i have also heard that now pilots are not getting jobs because of the sudden crashes in the market and most of them are unemployed. why? please send me these answers at the earliest as i despirately want to know about all these things. you can send me all these information on my e_mail id as given
Respected sir,
I am bigyan aryal from Nepal student of diploma in electronic student of 3 years engineering course. I would like to know the duration of this course and also eligibility and course fee,physical fitness required for the course of pilote.Please guide me about the course about the duration and fees i would be thankful for your reply.
Respected sir, i would like to know the duration of this course and also the eligibility and course fee.Also suggest me please whether it is good doing this course abroad or India.I would like to know the physical fitness required for the course too. Since i am using spex. nd also sir i want to know courses of pilot i know only cpl but after cpl for further studies? Waiting for your rep;y i n my id.plz reply
Sir my name is prasanth. i would like to know the duration of this course and also the eligibility and course fee.Also suggest me please whether it is good doing this course abroad or India.I would like to know the physical fitness required for the course too. Since i am using spex.Waiting for your rep;y i n my id.
sir,
i have finished my 12 class with maths,physics
i want to do the pilot course can u please guide me about the course about the duration and fees
i would be thankful for your reply
Respected Sir.
i finished my 12 class in science(physics).I want to join pilot training course in U.S.A. Can u plz guide that what should I do, also tell me the education level that is required to join this cource. How much fees is required nd what is the duration of this course. Plz send me all the information. I m Waiting for ur reply Sir. Thanking you.
sir ,
i pursuing my b.com final year .Am i eligible to join a piloting course in abroad..What are the entry requirements to join.which country would be favourable in terms of fees and oppurtunities.kindly let me know as soon as possible..
Posted by: sam
May 05 , 2009, 18:26 IST
hey dude ur tottaly eligible 4 dis field...........as well as in india n abroad...............both r same
respected sir i want to become a pilot so how much educatio is needed to be a pilot. it is necessar to do 12 or if we had done 10 it will be ok.
please reply me on my id.
respected sir ,i am a B.E.(fresher), i want to become a pilot , would you please tell me all the necessary information like fee, course, difficulty level, etc.. i mean wat shud i do for that.
please send me mail on my id.
Respected Sir. I want to join pilot training course in U.S.A. Can u plz guide that what should I do, also tell me the education level that is required to join this cource. How much fees is required nd what is the duration of this course. Plz send me all the information. I m Waiting for ur reply Sir. Thanking you.
sir am sohail
and i have completed my 12th
nd i hav 2 become a pilot
can u gimme d information about that
or gimme a message from your cell on my number
will call u 9821927063
i want to learn more about your program and have some Magazens through my post office box.Commonwealth college p.o box 34 Larterbiokorshie Accra Ghana.
Respected Sir. I want to join pilot training course in U.S.A. Can u plz guide that what should I do, also tell me the education level that is required to join this cource. How much fees is required nd what is the duration of this course. Plz send me all the information immediately. I m Waiting for ur reply Sir. Thanking you.
Respected sir, I am a mechanical engineering student. my ambition is to become a pilot. will you please give me the information about my chance for pilot course after my engineering degree. Also the information about eligibility, course duration, fee, age limit, etc...
I am waiting for your reply sir
Thanking you.
Posted by: Ashish
March 21 , 2010, 14:06 IST
i hav exactly the same query... im in 2nd year mechanical engineering but want to take up aviation as my career please help me out...
Respected Sir.
I want to join pilot training course in U.S.A.
Can u plz guide that what I do also tell me the education level that needs to join the cources. How much fees is requried for join this cource.
Plz send me all the information immdiately. I m Waiting for reply yor Sir.
Thanking you.
Posted by: Sandhu83
September 02 , 2009, 23:47 IST
Dear Sir/Madam,
I want to do Pilot course in THE USA.PLZ tell me about fees ,accommodation expenditure,duration of course,eligibility for
joining this course.Plz send reply as soon as possible.
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