A Flight Of Success
There is hardly any country left in the world which doesn’t use plane for international communication, business and national defense. Specialised test pilots and flight engineers play an important and tough role in flying planes. They have to be extra alert regarding instruments and skills related to planes to prevent any kind of accident while flying. New safety techniques are searched constantly and applied for the safety flights.
To become a pilot, is a dream which can come true with hard work, talent and strong determination. As a pilot, a person touches the high peaks in his life. A pilot also enjoys all the fabulous facilities of life. This is the reason why career of a pilot is attracting people right from the beginning. New possibilities are taking shape by entry of women in this field. Now women are free to touch the heights of success as a pilot.
Their has been continuous increment in Aviation Science. High technology planes are in process. Simultaneously there is an increase in the prime costs of plane and also the risk. This is the reason why the responsibilities of test pilots and flight engineers is quite high. Now they have to work more efficiently than before. Some techniques and devices comparatively demands more vigilance. The work of educating pilot is been done at a high level all over the world, but Britain’s — “Empire Test Pilot School” (ETPS) has its own reputation. This is the reason why people from all over the world send their applications for admission in this school. This school came into existence in the year 1943 for the training of flight pilots, so that there is no scarcity of capable test pilots for flying fighter planes during the war. Now students from all over the world come here for learning science and art of aeroplanes and they get a chance to learn difficult but interesting courses from here, which are available only in Britain. This is a graduate course of 1 year time period. Even scientists, experienced in flying fighter planes as well as civil planes are being trained here. Course starts at ground education, in which all the theoretical facts about the plane are taught, so that they have a high level knowledge. ETPS is situated in one of the city of South Britain.
Here students were taught about different kinds of planes like microlight, helicopter, fighter planes, etc., which move even faster than voice, and transport carrying planes. During the laboratory training on land, students were taught about flying planes (which actually doesn’t fly) are called assimilators, but you will feel that it is flying. After this training, training is provided on real planes at the heights of the sky. After this a student becomes an expert in understanding various movements of planes, giving right direction to flight, changing heights and also is expert in flying all type of planes.
Experienced pilots when come to learn these courses, they enjoy it again because they bring in changes in the flying techniques by the experience of their 1st flight. They have a good practice of it from the beginning, which helps them at the time of training. Helicopters with fixed wings is an additional or a separate chapter for pilots. Likewise these test pilots and flight engineers gets altogether different chance to practice on a different kind of cockpits and unknown flight systems.
ETPS has many airplanes specially designed for the training of test pilots who easily handle any of difficult situation. One such plane is “Astra Hawk”. It has been prepared specially for training. British Aerospace comes in the category of “Hawk” planes. But many changes have been made in it. Its control system is a little bit different. All facts regarding flight appears on screen for the pilot and control system is arranged near to it. With the help of the computer, pilot is put into different situations, to control. It can be done by just pressing a computer button. It includes all those situations which you can say “Dangerous” some situations are acceptable while others are absolutely discarded. Students have to use his intelligence and bring dangerous situations under control. One has to pass through same kind of training in other planes of ETPS, like “Hawk” training plane, Jaguar Fighter plane, “BAE One Eleven” and “West land links” and “Sea king Helicopter:
These planes are kept along with other high class planes for training, which are included in the defense of Britain and the fighter planes of Britain. ETPS is a part of this defense evaluation and research agency. By availing training on these different types of planes and learning each minute detail of techniques and systems, trainees becomes Masters of Flights. They are ready to now fly any kind of planes. Taking plane to heights and then bringing it upside-down is very dangerous. When preliminary round of training completes, then trainees have to pass through this dangerous training. ETPS is the only training institute in the world where training is given to put planes into dangerous
situations and then while relapsing, bringing it into a normal situation. B.A.E’s Hunter plane is used for this type of difficult and dangerous training.
Once graduate training course is completed, every trainee has to pass through a very difficult exam of 10 hours. In this exam, plane (which is not given before) is now given for flying. This plane has to be flown outside Britain. Two people (Test Pilot and Engineer) evaluates the trainees. After passing this test, a trainee becomes practically eligible anywhere in the world to work for Fighter groups or development and research work of planes. ETPS graduates shows specialization in every field of aviation, it includes development related to planes worth crores of rupees, purchase programmes improvement in the parts of old planes, repairing and putting new devices in these planes, etc. Trainees from all over the world are taking advantages of the short-term courses offered by ETPS. These training courses includes maintenance of planes, flying helicopters from ships, and problems and solutions of flights at night etc. Before starting the course foreign trainees were introduced with the security systems and rules of flying the British planes, and were also taught English language so that the trainee does not face any kind of problem in further in their graduation education. There is a great demand of ETPS graduates for manufacturing new planes, development of engine systems and other works related to aviation. Therefore, trainers and officers makes great preparations. They themselves practice on new planes for the updation of their knowledge.
ETPS is providing services to Aviation arrangements and plane business all over the world. The expansion of the international role of this wonderful school is because it is associated with other 3 schools of similar type. Out of these, 2 schools were in USA and 1 is in France. All these schools have been established by the graduates of ETPS. All these four schools have exchange programme for graduate and Post graduate candidates and teachers. By adopting new-technology and development in the field of aviation, they decide that nothing should be left related to aviation during the training and trainees should be the top test pilots and flying engineers.
Beside Britain, India also offers training of commercial pilot. Work of a commercial pilot is full of stress. Safety of passengers and their goods is the moral responsibility of a pilot. A capable pilot should have knowledge of weather along with flying of plane. Also, he should be proficient to handle and control various instrument and devices and are full aware of various techniques, etc.
A commercial pilot should be intelligent and should have art of controlling difficult situations. Giving commands to co-pilot and crew members and surveying other matters is also a responsibility of a pilot. This is the reason pilots are most of the time stressed. Since all the devices associated with the plane are ultra modern, therefore, any minor mistake could prove dangerous. Take off and landing are the other two major responsibilities of pilot. Whether it is a technical problem while flying or a weather problem, it is the duty of a pilot to make preventive arrangements.
A pilot has to establish communication between traffic control room and cabin crew. After landing at its destination, pilots have to present their report. Information given in this report includes that while flying was there any technical problem or not. This process is very helpful for the maintenance of airplanes. Inspite of the above mentioned difficult responsibilities and the busy schedule o f a Pilot, this career has its own beauty.
A Pilot not only gets a chance to see the whole world but also gets an opportunity to meet all important people of the world. The starting salary of a Pilot is 50,000/- p.m. He is also obliged by giving a free tickets for his whole family to visit anywhere in the world.
It is the important to have a good health, normal vision and fitness along with other qualities, for doing a pilot training course. A candidate should be a “Commercial Flight License Holder” for becoming a pilot. The Director General of Commercial Aviation (DGCA) first issue the flying club Student Pilot License (SPL) after that Private Pilot License (PPL), and then Commercial Pilot License (CPL). Flying clubs of different States takes exams for SPL. Question related to air regulation, aviation, meteorology and air navigability are been asked. Minimum eligibility age for exams is 16 years and the candidate must be 10th class passed. The Candidate has to submit his medical certificate, security clearance and Rs. 10,000/- as guarantee.
The candidate should register his/her name a month before the exam. Selected candidates have to pass through the process of written exam and interview. Successful candidates are then sent for the medical tests. Last authority in the case of medical fitness is “Air Force Central Medical Establishment” (AFCME), New Delhi and “Institute of Aviation Medicine” (IAM), Bangalore. Successful candidates in medical test are eligible for S.P.L. After awarding SPL, candidates were given training under the command of experienced teachers. After 15 hours of flight a candidate can fly independently. Flight of 60 hours is essential in which it is necessary to fly alone for a minimum of 20 hours. Minimum education required for PPL is 10+2 and minimum age should be 17. After PPL, student can take admission in CPL. For admission in CPL exam it is necessary for a candidate to complete flight of 250 hours (including of 60 hours of PPL).
Flying Institutes
- Empire Test Pilot School, Bose Combdown, South Britain Indian Institutes
- Asaam Flying Club, Guwahati Airport, Guwahati (Assam)
- Anaman and Nikobaar Flying Training Institute, Civil Airport, Port Blair Andaman
- Amritser Aviation Club, Airport Amritsar (Punjab)
- Ajanta Flying Club, Aurangabad Aerodrome, Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
- Andhra Pradesh Flying Club, Hyderabad Airport, Hyderabad (A.P.)
- Bihar Flying Institute, Civil Aerodrome, Patna (Bihar)
- Coimbatore Flying Club, Limited, Civil Aerodrome, Coimbatore.
- Flying Training Institute, Behala, Kolkata
- Flying Club, Civil Aerodrome, Indore (M.P.)
- Flying Club, Civil Aerodrome, Hasani Road, Baroda (Gujarat)
- Govt Aviation Training Institute, Civil Aerodrome, Bhuvaneshwar (Orissa)
- Govt. Flying Club, Aerodrome Lucknow (U.P.)
- Govt. Flying Club, Aerodrome, Faizabad (U.P.)
- Govt. Flying Club, Aerodrome, Hyderabad (A.P.)
- Hisar Aviation Club, Textile Road, Hisar (Haryana)
- Jamshedpur Co-operative Flyinig Club Limited, Sansi Aerodrome, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand)
- Karnal Aviation Club, Kunjpura Road, Karnal (Haryana)
- Kerala Aviation Training Centre, Civil Aerodrome,Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)
- Ludhiana Aviation Club, Civil Aerodrome, Ludhiana (Punjab)
- Mumbai Flying Club, Juhu Aerodrome, Santacruz (West Mumbai)
- Madras Flying Club Limited, Civil Aerodrome, Chennai
- M.P. Flying Club, Civil Aerodrome, Bhopal (M.P.)
- Northern India Flying Club, Jalandhar Cantt (Punjab)
- Nagpur Flying Club, Sonegaon, Aerodrome, Nagpur, (Maharashtra)
- Patiala Aviation Club, Patiala (Punjab)
- Pinjore Aviation Club, Civil Aerodrome, Ambala (Haryana)
- Rajasthan State Flying School, Sanganer Airport, Jaipur
- School of Aviation Science and Technology, Delhi Flying Club Limited, Safdarjung Airpot, New Delhi
- State Civil Aviation, U.P Govt. Flying Training Centre, Kanpur & Varanasi (U.P.)
- Vanasthali Vidyapeeth Sliding & Flying Club, Vanasthali Vidyapeeth (Rajasthan)
Private Flying Schools
- Ahmedabad Aviation Academy, Ahmedabad, (Gujarat)
- Bangalore Aeronautics, Technical Service, Bangalore (Karnataka)
- Bats 912-215506
- Rajputana Aviation Club, Kota Airport, Kota (Rajasthan)
- Orient Flying School, Saint Thomas Mount, Chennai Ph:22341389, Fax: 044-22342170
- Udann, Indore (M.P.) Ph: 2412809, Fax: 2412155
