I am going to be talking about what you should keep in mind and consider before you decide to become a pilot. It is important to know this before you make your decision.

Busting the myth

Flying and the lives of Pilots are generally associated with glamour, travel, fun, good salaries etc. While some of it may be true, this profession requires a lot of hard work, discipline and a very high level of professionalism. It takes a lot studying, exams, training on simulators and aircraft before you can fly as a first officer in an airline. So all those aspiring to become pilots must be prepared for the same. Having said that, if one has the passion and truly enjoys flying, then all of the above are achievable.

So what does it actually take to become a pilot?

Becoming a pilot is not cheap either. One must be prepared to spend a significantly large sum of money in a relatively short period of time and there is no guarantee that you will recover your investment anytime soon. Therefore you must do your research and be sure that this is something you really want to do. There are many flight schools abroad and in India that have courses that are designed keeping in mind the requirements in India. Alternatively, a few airlines have their own cadet programmes and train students from scratch. It is upto you to decide what works best for you.

Being medically fit is mandatory. Pilots have to undergo regular medical assessments and must pass the same to continue to exercise the privileges of the their license. Therefore, it’s a good idea to undergo a medical assessment and be sure that you are fit to fly. In India this would be the Class 2 and Class 1 medical assessments.

There are also certain educational qualifications that you must meet to be eligible to become a commercial pilot in India. i.e. Mathematics and Physics are mandatory in India. In other parts of the world this might be different.

Apart from the above, you must be prepared to stay multiple days away from home with erratic schedules.

Conclusion

Overall it’s a great profession and worth every bit of the work and investment you put in.