Investigation of the Boeing 737 plane crash in Kazan. It turned out that the most “working” version of what happened was a crew error. IAC specialists found that the technical condition of the aircraft was at the proper level.
Pilot errors are leading to more and more plane crashes in Russia. According to experts, it was the human factor that became decisive in the last major plane crashes: the crash of the Tu-134 near Petrozavodsk, the Tu-154 at Domodedovo airport and the Yak-42 airliner in Yaroslavl (then the entire Lokomotiv hockey team died ").
The average age of pilots is rising. Young specialists appear, but not in sufficient numbers: pilots are trained in only three universities in the country.
The main one is the University of Civil Aviation in St. Petersburg. Training is conducted at 8 faculties, the average duration of training is five years. University graduates after graduation are called upon to pilot civil aviation aircraft. The university also trains aviation managers and technicians.
Another “pilot” university is located in Ulyanovsk - the Higher Aviation School of Civil Aviation. It also has eight areas of training, with an average duration of study of four years. The school in Ulyanovsk is more “diversified” and trains not only pilots for civil aviation, but also those who can ensure the proper preparation of an aircraft for flight (diversified training).
The last representative of a specialized “flight” educational institution is. It has 12 faculties and the university is much more diverse. Rather, it trains specialists who can develop technical innovations for the aviation and space industries. The average training period is 5 years.
According to unofficial data, the first two universities have graduated 2,707 pilots over the past 10 years. Nowadays there is little competition for flight schools. There are cases when “retrained” military pilots are hired. Well, young pilots are immediately entrusted with serious tests. According to the data, previously, for the first three years, graduates were allowed only to the An-2 “maize”, then they were gradually transferred to the larger ones - the An-26 and Tu-134.
And only after having all this experience did the pilots begin to fly 1st class aircraft (Tu-154 and Il-62). Now, under the right circumstances, you can become the commander of a prestigious Boeing at the age of 25.
There is another side to the problem. Previously, civilian pilots retired at age 60. Now there is no boundary for retirement as such. They fly until they are “healthy,” which in principle provides financial benefits: the pilot’s salary varies from 80 to 200 thousand rubles.
It is known that many states use the practice of “private” pilot training. Airlines themselves train young pilots so that they then stay to work for them. The Russian authorities have repeatedly approached airlines with a similar proposal, but so far the initiative has not been supported.
Millions of children's essays on the topic “What do I want to become in the future” contain the words: “I want to be a pilot!” Indeed, military and civil aviation are attractive places for a future career. It has everything: excellent working conditions, excellent salaries (especially in commercial companies), the opportunity to visit different countries... What else is needed for a comfortable life?
However, becoming a military or civil aviation pilot is not so easy. There are a number of difficulties that you will have to overcome on the way to your dream! Today we’ll talk about what you need for this and look at tips on how to get a job at an airline after completing your training.
What education is needed
In fact, you don’t even need a college degree to become a civil aviation pilot. As a rule, a secondary specialization in the specialty “Technical Operation of an Aircraft” is quite enough. Today you can get a profession in two types of educational institutions:
- Specialized flight school.
- Private pilot schools (they provide the opportunity to specialize as an amateur pilot, but more on that later).
At the same time, one should not be deluded by the fact that there is no need for higher education to become a civil aviation pilot. Educational institutions that train personnel for public and private airlines have extremely stringent requirements for the selection of candidates. Not everyone can go through them, especially when it comes to health.
Despite the age of the applicants, the requirements will be imposed on them as if they were already accomplished pilots. Please note that we are talking about this absolutely seriously! You will be required to undergo an in-depth medical examination, where every little thing can block your “path to heaven,” after which you will be sent for physical fitness testing. If you want to become a civil aviation pilot, you will be required to pass the following standards:
- running sprint and stayer distances;
- push-ups/pull-ups;
- long jump;
- abdominal exercises
The medical examination is not carried out in a regular clinic, but under the supervision of a special medical commission. The requirements for candidates are extremely stringent. In addition to physical health, you will also be required to pass a psychological test. Almost more attention is paid here than to physical condition. Even if two applicants have the same scores, the one who, according to experts, passed the test better, will be able to pass. Moreover, if you want to become a civil aviation pilot, you will have to monitor your health throughout the entire period of study. Even if you are an excellent student, you may be expelled due to a deterioration in your condition or the detection of any diseases.
Flight categories and subsequent employment
When listing educational institutions that will allow you to realize your dream of becoming a pilot, we made a small reservation opposite private pilot schools. Why is it important? Because a flying license, like a car license, is also divided into several categories. There are three of them in the Russian Federation. In particular:
- Amateur pilot. The first level of flight proficiency, which includes the ability to operate under visual flight rules during the day. During advanced training, a similar option is allowed at night. Representatives of this category can only make private non-commercial flights, and therefore cannot work for airlines.
- Commercial pilot. The second level of mastery, which includes the opportunity to work in airlines. However, in this case there are a number of restrictions on independent flight. Thus, on the territory of the Russian Federation, commercial pilots cannot be appointed as commanders of an aircraft; they are appointed only as co-pilots on ships that include two or more crew members.
- Line pilot. The third and last level of mastery in the Russian Federation. Holders of flying licenses in this category have the opportunity to work as aircraft commanders, and a number of restrictions provided for by domestic and international air transportation rules are removed from them.
The profession of a pilot attracts and interests many. After all, there is a certain romance in these takeoffs and landings, in command of an aircraft, in the sky and clouds. And besides, pilots earn very well. According to statistics, their profession is in first place in the TOP of the highest paid jobs. Naturally, many people have a question: how to become a civil aviation pilot.
As experts note, in any case, you can become a pilot only if you have a flight certificate in hand. Without him, no one will be allowed at the helm. Today, there are three types of such access rights to the sky:
- Private pilot
- Commercial pilot
- Linear
Assignment to each of the categories occurs gradually and necessarily one after another. You cannot jump over several steps at once. In addition, pilots are also divided into categories 1, 2 and 3. The first here is the highest. To obtain it, you must first obtain the second and third. Accordingly, you will need to take advanced training courses, etc.
Pilot training today is carried out in:
- Flight schools
- Civil Aviation Academy
- Commercial flying clubs
The first two options imply more serious training, which is why they produce more reliable professionals who later become civil aviation pilots. Commercial clubs mainly train amateur pilots who can fly on small craft only for their own pleasure. Such courses cannot be classified as serious educational programs.
What is required when applying to an educational institution?
Many universities that teach to become pilots have budget places. This means that those who really want it have a chance to enroll. The rest will study on a paid basis, and the price tag for such studies is quite high. But it is important to remember that there is a strict selection process for such educational institutions. For example, even before all entrance examinations, the applicant will have to undergo a rigorous medical examination and pass the necessary standards. Among the main examinations, the functioning of the following body systems is checked:
- Cardiovascular
- Respiratory
- Vestibular apparatus
- Vision
In addition, a student, and in the future a pilot, should not suffer from changes in blood pressure. The same commission will be held in each year of study. And then, when the student gets a job, similar checks will be carried out before each flight. After all, he is responsible for the lives of hundreds of people, so he cannot afford any deviations.
What programs are studied?
Pilot training, for example, in Russia, is carried out in the following specialties:
- Aircraft capabilities during its operation
- Theoretical and practical lessons on aircraft control
- Working with maps and routing
- Aerodynamics
- Meteorology
- Engine Design Basics
- Conducting parachute jumps
- Providing first aid and acquiring the necessary medical skills
- Increased language level
A prerequisite is a certain number of hours of practicing the acquired knowledge on special simulators and simulators, which fully reflect the real cockpit. The situations for them are very diverse.
What types of aircraft can you train for?
Today in Russia they train to become pilots of various types of civil aircraft - both Russian and foreign. This is due to the fact that the Russian aviation industry has many different foreign aircraft in its arsenal. Special simulators and trainers are used for them. Teachers pay special attention to technical characteristics and features.
Later, pilots have to regularly retrain and increase their professional experience in order to be able to develop with the industry and choose modern aircraft.
How to get a job
The question: how to become a pilot is quite difficult. After all, a graduate, even if he is a holder of honors and a gold medalist in one person, is unlikely to be immediately hired as a full-fledged pilot on a flight. He definitely needs to get some practice. After training, such a graduate will have the title of commercial pilot. In a crew of more than one person, he can only fly as an assistant or co-pilot.
A pilot is hired by an airline according to the following scheme:
- He must have completed his education and have a flight certificate in hand. This document also has its own category - for civil aviation pilots the categories of commercial pilot or lineman are required
- Results of the passed medical examination
- Successful delivery of material, both oral and written
- The number of flights required - the pilot receives them while flying an aircraft in different conditions (after completing training, the student has only 150 hours; to obtain the category of line pilot, 4,000 hours of practical flight time are required)
You can only become a line pilot if you have extensive flying experience, both as a commercial pilot and as a commander. In this case, he has a chance to get a job at a large airline without any problems.
Choosing to become a pilot is a worthy choice. After all, pilots help people quickly get to their desired destination. At the same time, the work is so nervous and difficult - after all, the pilot has a huge number of human lives behind him, and he has no right to make a mistake. If he does them, there may be a result. And this is all constant nervous tension. Plus, pilots are affected by pressure changes, which also negatively affects their health. And all these factors should be taken into account before deciding to become a civil aviation pilot.
The priority area of activity of the Aist flying club has become the training of amateur pilots (private pilots) wishing to obtain a PPL (Private Pilot License). The flight school provides training on Yak-18T training aircraft, which have given more than one thousand Russian and foreign pilots a ticket to the skies.
Theory and practice of flying
Flight training courses (FTC) take place in two main stages: theoretical and practical training.
- The study of flight theory is carried out in Moscow, at the training base of our partners - the Wingspan Aviation Training Center. Previously, we taught theory ourselves, but we were faced with the fact that it was more convenient for our cadets to attend evening theoretical classes in Moscow during the week. The theoretical pilot training course includes the following subjects:
- air legislation;
- practical aerodynamics;
- aircraft design;
- aircraft navigation and navigation in the sky;
- aircraft power plant design;
- design of aviation and radio equipment;
- technical and flight operation of aircraft;
- rescue equipment, their use;
- meteorology in aviation;
- conduct and phraseology of radio communications;
- aviation security and many others. etc.
- The initial flight training program at the pilot school is conducted at the Beloomut airfield with an experienced pilot instructor. Cadets will acquire the following skills:
- ground pre-flight training for amateur pilots;
- primary piloting skills, first solo flight;
- flight at critically low and high air speeds;
- elimination of the spin effect in flight;
- takeoffs and landings in normal conditions and in strong crosswinds;
- recognition of stall (initial and developed) and recovery from it;
- takeoffs/landings in limited areas;
- training to fly using instruments only;
- flying along a developed route using visual references, using dead reckoning methods and radio navigation aids;
- flight with emergency simulation: engine failure, on-board equipment, etc.;
- night flights and many others. etc.
Procedure and duration of training:
- The duration of the theoretical course is 172 hours (approximately four months). At the end of the training, students are tested and take exams in all theoretical disciplines.
- The estimated duration of flight training is 42 hours. For effective training, development and maintenance of piloting skills, regular flight time of at least two hours per week is required. Otherwise, there will be no progress, and learning to fly an airplane and obtaining a private pilot certificate will be delayed indefinitely. After completing the course, examinations are carried out on aircraft navigation and piloting techniques.
- You can start performing training flights in Moscow at the same time as attending theoretical classes.
- Upon successful passing of the theoretical and flight training exams, the registration documents are transferred to the Working Group of the Higher Qualification Commission of the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviation) of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation (RG VKK).
- After passing the certification, the graduate will be awarded a private pilot license PPL (Private Pilot License). With this document you have the right to fly on private aircraft.
Cost of education
- Payment for the full course of study can be made in whole or in parts, in cash or by bank transfer.
- The cost of a theoretical pilot school course is 36,000 rubles. If you missed a lesson, you can easily attend a similar lecture on another day in another group.
- The average cost of a flight course is about 450,000 rubles. or 180 rub./min. The final price depends on several factors, among which a special role is played by the individual psychophysiological characteristics of the account - the type of nervous system, temperament properties. However, practice shows that the main ones are still motivational features - interest in flying, desire to learn, as well as persistence in mastering educational material, regularity of flights. In short, pilots are not born, but made. We will help you with this!
Even if you are a person who has completed training in your specialty a long time ago, but really wants to become a pilot, nothing is lost. The main thing is to decide: do you want to just learn how to fly an aircraft or become a full-fledged pilot of a passenger or cargo aircraft. Let's look at the stages of both options and choose the best path for pilot development.
How to become a pilot - private pilot schools
Ideal for those people who do not want to work in their specialty, but only want to learn how to fly an airplane. Such programs are designed for people of all ages, they last from a month to a year, at your discretion. Of course, the cost of such a school will not be small and the price of a practical flight course can fluctuate around twelve thousand rubles per hour of training.
After graduating from such a school, you will be a full-fledged amateur pilot, but you will not be able to get a job as a commercial pilot, since you will not receive a flight certificate. However, if you set such a goal and find a place where you can fly the required hours, then anything is possible. There may be people who will take you on as their private pilot, then you will definitely be able to meet the established hours.
How to become a pilot - flight academies
With academies, everything is much more complicated; people who want to become qualified commercial pilots and fly cargo and passenger airliners go there.
Before admission, you will have to pass many exams, not only physics and other school subjects. The exam course also includes a very tough physical education test. The exam includes several standards, such as running, jumping, and endurance. After this, medical parameters are checked. You will also have to monitor your health during training, since medical commissions are a frequent test for a pilot. Even before getting a job, each time you will go through a very wide range of doctors. After passing, another specialist awaits you - a psychologist. This is an important stage of the exam, since the pilot is responsible for the lives of many people, sometimes several hundred. The mental health of such a person should be at its best. In a critical situation in the sky, the pilot must react quickly and coolly.
If you are admitted to a flight academy, you will have five years of study ahead of you. Upon completion of training, you will receive an appropriate certificate, but no one will let you fly right away. The fact is that to obtain a pilot's passport you need to fly a certain number of hours, and most students have too few of them. In the first stages, try to get a job as a co-pilot in a small company that will allow you to fly the missing time.
Working as a pilot
Get ready for the fact that for each type of piloting you will have to obtain more and more new certificates; at the moment there are the following types:
- private pilot certificate (until 2009, in regulatory documents - amateur pilot certificate);
- commercial pilot certificate;
- multi-crew pilot certificate;
- line pilot certificate;
- glider pilot certificate;
- free balloon pilot certificate;
- ultralight pilot certificate.
Each of them involves passing certain exams and requirements for your experience and qualifications.
In addition to the burden of responsibility and exams, it is worth remembering that pilots have a good salary and a large benefits package. A pilot can retire once he has accumulated about 6,000 hours of flight time and can serve as a captain until he is 60 years old.