Commercial Pilot License (CPL) is a license offered by DGCA that allows students to act as a Pilot in Command of any aircraft and get paid for that. A CPL holder can perform flying work in single and multi-engine airplanes, and fly aircraft even act as a co-pilot in aircraft. CPL course is all about operating the aircraft in the air that includes general flying, aircraft testing, skill tests as per DGCA requirement. CPL training has become very popular among the students who have the desire to fly an aircraft and learn every discipline of the CPL course which has increased the number of aviation schools and flight clubs in India. An aspiring candidate can enroll in the course by appearing in various exams or sometimes it can be merit-based for some institutions. After the completion of the CPL course, the candidates have to complete a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of one-year training, to further apply for a job in government and private airlines where they are paid to fly as a pilot, transporting cargo and passengers, and perform other operations that include aerial surveying and search and rescue.
CPL is the most demanding career in the field of aviation. To join this program, the student must have fulfilled the following eligibility criteria:-
- The candidates appearing or passed his/ her 12th examination in Science stream with PCM/ 3 years engineering diploma from a recognized board/university.
- The age limit must be minimum 17 years or above.
- Students must be medically fit as per the Medical standards of DGCA.
CPL course duration of 8-10 months that includes 80 hours for academic sessions on ground and 200 hours on flying training. There are three stages in training: Ground Training, Simulator Training, and Flying Training. The Commercial Pilot License (CPL) course is related to operating aircraft and providing a successful journey to their passengers. CPL offers a tremendous career opportunity in aviation and today CPL graduates earn handsome salary in India and abroad as well.
CPL course serves a deep knowledge of aircraft functions and operating systems of the aircraft. There are various subjects that are covered in the CPL syllabus which are decided by DGCA, with the main purpose of emphasizing the understanding of all the concepts. Some of them are as follow:-
Indian Aviation Industry is showing excellent growth rapidly. Airlines is the company which provides air transport for the passenger’s. Commercial Pilot License (CPL) holders are hired by airlines to fly aircrafts. Today, Indian airlines have the best options available after a candidate gets a license. The Pilot student can apply for a job in the following airlines:-
Top National Recruiting Airlines:-
- Air India
- Jet Airways
- IndiGo
- SpiceJet
- GoAir
- AirAsia India
- Vistara
- Alliance Air
- Luwang Air
- Air Deccan
- Blue Dart Aviation
- Pinnacle Air
- Spirit Air
- Supreme Airlines
- TajAir
- Titan Aviation
- Ventura AirConnect
- And many more...
There are various job profiles.However, each profile has infinite opportunities and an excellent lifestyle. After the completion of CPL, the students can make their career on the following job profiles:-
- Co-Pilot
- Chief Pilot
- Commercial Pilot
- Airline Pilot
- Captain
- Commuter Pilot
- First Officer
- Experimental Test Pilot
To get admission to commercial pilot license course, the candidate has to follow the CPL Admission Process:-
- To join CPL Course, a candidate should fill the form of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Common Entrance Test (AME CET).
- After qualifying AME CET Exam, students can get admission to top flying schools or institutions based upon his/her All India Rank(AIR) scored in AME CET.
The commercial Pilot License course fee is based on institutes infrastructure, training facilities, faculty, and other facilities. The fee structure varies from institute to institute. The average fee for a CPL aviation course ranges from 20 Lakhs to 50 Lakhs depending on the institutes.
Commercial Pilot License holder salaries vary from company to company and also depend upon the skill set including the experience one holds as a CPL. Commercial Pilot License holder’s salary is tentatively INR 10 Lakhs to 15 Lakhs per annum depending upon skillset. There are following facilities provided to pilot apart from salary:-
- Commercial License Holder works 1000 hours in a year
- Free pick up from home and free drop
- free food
- Free stay in 5-star hotels.
- Buying things in a duty-free shop.
- Free tickets to travel any place in the world
- Prestige in society- at least in India
- And many more.