Civil Aviation Pilots are specialists who have dedicated their lives to heaven. These are fearless people who have challenged fate and have gone through many trials. Therefore, anyone who dreams of such a profession should be aware that his life path will become just as difficult and thorny.
And if this fate does not frighten, then let's talk about how to become a civil aviation pilot in Russia. Where should I go to study? How much time will it take, and how then to look for work?
The beginning of a long journey
First of all, you should be aware of the fact that you will have to study for a civil aviation pilot for quite some time. Indeed, unlike a car, control of an airplane requires extensive knowledge: from its structure to the features of flying in bad weather.
Therefore, it is worth preparing for the fact that you have to study the “tons” of training material. At the same time, it’s not just to memorize all the information, but to be able to correctly use it during flights. Especially if in the future you have plans to get a job in a commercial structure.
Flight Licenses
Today, all civil aviation pilots fall into three broad categories. This is due to a strict licensing system, which absolutely all pilots must pass. It is she who subsequently determines what type of winged machines a person can control.
So, there are the following types of licenses :
- PPL or private pilot. Possession of this document gives the right to fly small aircraft that are not intended for freight traffic. Simply put, a person can fly as much as he pleases, but no one will take him to work.
- CPL or commercial pilot. This type of license allows a person to deliver small loads, make tourist overflights and fly skydivers.
- ATPL or line pilot. What can I say, this is the highest category of pilots that allows you to control multi-ton passenger airliners.
How to become a civil aviation pilot
Once a person decides to embark on this path, he immediately faces a choice: submit documents to a flight school or will it be limited to a flying school? Oddly enough, but there are pluses and minuses in both versions, so let's look at them separately.
Let's start with the flight schools. The quality of education here is higher, since much more time is allocated for the training of pilots. In addition, students are taught not only piloting, but also other disciplines - physics, advanced mathematics and law. This allows you to educate comprehensively developed pilots who are able to perform their duties efficiently.
As for the minuses, the flight schools and academies conduct recruiting based on the state order. This leads to the fact that from 10 to 12 applicants apply for one place. In addition, many successful pilots of civil aviation have denied that the technical base of our educational institutions is noticeably outdated. Because of this, their graduates have to take additional courses in order to understand the features of piloting new aircraft.
But everyone can go to a flight school. It is more important here whether a person has money for training. The quality of education here is slightly lower, although it largely depends on the school itself and what teachers work there. At the same time, it is worth noting that it is much easier to get a PPL category certificate at a flight school, since you can take extracurricular activities here.
Transition from one category to another
Both men and women pilots of civil aviation in Russia pass the same standards for obtaining a license. They are different for each type of document, so let's look at them:
- Applicants over 16 years old can get a PPL certificate. To do this, they need to learn 155 hours of theoretical material, and also fly 47 hours on a Cessna 172 type airplane. On average, training in this category takes from several months to one year, depending on the intensity of classes and the type of educational institution.
- Applicants over 18 years of age can obtain a CPL certificate. To do this, they need to have a PPL license or take this training course from scratch. In addition, they will have to study more than 600 hours of theory, as well as fly 152 hours on a single-engine aircraft. And at the end of the training, close another 30 hours of flights on the navigation simulator and 12 hours on the multi-engine airplane.
- ATPL type certificate is a more sophisticated version of the CPL license. That is, it will be necessary to learn everything that is in the previous categories, only with a great deepening in practice. In addition, you will have to work out flight simulations on passenger and cargo airliners.
Medical Commission
All civil aviation pilots undergo rigorous medical screening. Moreover, it is carried out both before the start of training and upon its completion. Also, the medical commission will have to go through every year after being hired, otherwise the pilot will simply not be allowed to fly.
The difficulty lies in the fact that any flaw or illness can be a reason for a negative conclusion. If we talk about commercial flights, then doctors can prohibit flights even because a person does not have a couple of teeth. This is due to the fact that such a defect distorts speech, and this, in turn, makes it difficult to communicate with the air tower controller.
Finding a suitable job
In search of work, of course, all civil aviation pilots in Russia are driven by what license they have. So, if you have CPL, you should try to get a job in a small airline that provides travel services. Alternatively, you can consider the vacancies of instructors in flight schools, but then you will have to finish additional courses.
Much more perspectives open to those who own the ATPL license. In this case, it is likely that a large airline will offer you a job. Here is just one thing - most likely you will have to sign up for special courses that will allow you to master the control of the airliner.
The trouble is that their cost is quite high. Therefore, it is necessary to conclude a special agreement according to which the pilot will deduct part of his salary in order to pay off the debt to the airline. In addition, initially, a novice is allowed only to the position of the 2nd pilot, since the captain's seat requires experience in flying large aircraft (more than 1.5 thousand hours).
Responsibilities of a Civil Aviation Pilot
Airlines often disagree about the intricacies of domestic politics. However, there is something that unites them all - the rigidity of the requirements in relation to their pilots. Indeed, not only the safety of the aircraft, but also the life of its passengers depends on this.
Therefore, all pilots are required to fulfill the following five points:
- Professionally fly an airplane.
- Always follow safety instructions.
- Be aware of meteorological service reports in advance.
- Check the condition of the vessel before starting the flight.
- Obediently use the commands and tips of the air traffic controller.
Women pilots of civil aviation in Russia
Most people are used to the fact that the pilot is a man. Therefore, for them, a female civilian pilot is something out of the ordinary. However, the reality is that both men and the fairer sex can fly the plane. But for some reason, even today, they are cautiously allowed to approach large airliners. Nevertheless, in Russia there are examples of women running such giants.
So, Olga Kirsanova has been piloting a passenger plane weighing more than one hundred tons for several years. She is sure that everyone can get a place in the cabin of a winged car - the main thing is to want it with all my heart. True, Olga herself had to sweat a lot in order to achieve her position, since the leadership of her airline for too long could not decide on this appointment.