Profession pilot: how to become master of the sky?

Airplane pilot is a profession that many dream of. Romantics see it as an opportunity to fly around the whole world, ambitious people - good earnings, and thrill-seekers - a dream job. Although they try not to admit the latter to the management of passenger liners, as in this business the sober head comes first.

However, in truth, this profession is also hard for others. A pilot is a specialty that has been mastered for more than one year. And ultimately, only a few are able to go the path that leads to the helm of the aircraft.

Who can become a pilot?

Naturally, one desire is not enough to become a pilot. In fact, this profession requires certain internal qualities that are vital for any pilot. Among them, the most important are the following:

• Excellent health. Without it, a person will simply not be allowed to fly the aircraft. At the same time, special attention is paid to vision and the cardiovascular system.
• Sustainable psyche. Each departure is a strong emotional outburst that must be kept in check. Not to mention the fact that high altitude in itself is a test, capable of breaking the will of weak people.
• Extraordinary mental abilities. This is a very difficult profession: the pilot must learn many disciplines before he can correctly control the aircraft. And this, in turn, requires a good memory and analytical mindset.

Principal choice

In our country, there are two main areas in aviation: civilian and military. Therefore, initially a person must decide who he wants to become. Of course, often people are more attracted to the peaceful profession. A pilot in the air force often risks his life, which is not for everyone.

Nevertheless, each of the directions annually recruits more than one hundred volunteers. This happens through flight schools and academies, which can be accessed as follows.

Air Force Pilots of the Russian Federation

Most military pilots graduated from the Air Force Academy. NOT. Zhukovsky and Yu.A. Gagarin. This educational institution is located in Voronezh and for several decades now produces the best celestial aces. You can get here upon reaching adulthood, having passed a number of entrance exams and physical training.

However, it should be remembered that a fighter pilot is a slightly different profession. Pilots of this class are trained only in the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots named after A.K. Serova. Unlike the previous version, only men over 27 years old are accepted here. Also, within the walls of the school, a rigorous selection is made according to the state of health, physical fitness and student performance.

Civilian pilot profession

In civil aviation, no less stringent selection rules apply. Naturally, they are inferior to those that are installed in military flight schools, but not so much as to treat them frivolously. The training itself on a civil aviation pilot takes place in the following three institutions:

1. Moscow Aviation Institute is the best choice for those who want to make a quick career.
2. St. Petersburg University of Civil Aviation is no less prestigious institution, with a wonderful history of graduates.
3. The Higher Aviation School of Civil Aviation in Ulyanovsk is a more budget option, designed for those who can not afford to study in the two previous institutions.

In addition, a civil aviation pilot certificate can be obtained at many aviation clubs in the country. Training there takes place in an accelerated mode, which can be attributed to a small plus. However, there is a big minus. Due to the tight deadlines, the quality and quantity of knowledge drops markedly, which will certainly affect future work.

Pilot classification system

Each aircraft pilot must have a certain type of license, indicating the range of his skills. In general, there are four main types of flight licenses:

• PPL is an amateur pilot. The first stage of training for any pilot, opening the door to piloting private jets. At the same time, a specialist in this class is prohibited from using their skills to make money. You can get it by going through the main theoretical course and flying 40 hours with an instructor.
• CPL is a commercial pilot. A document of this level allows for commercial flights on small aircraft. This license is given to specialists who have completed an advanced theoretical course and flew off as a pilot for more than 250 hours.
• ATPL is a pilot airline. This certificate allows you to fly Boeing class aircraft. Naturally, obtaining this document takes much more time, because a person needs to understand many specialized disciplines, and also spend at least 1,500 hours in the sky.
• CFI is a pilot instructor. The name speaks for itself - a specialist at this level is able to teach others flying skills.

Pilot salary

Pilots of any category earn quite good money. However, specialists engaged in charter transportation receive much more than the rest. For example, for 2016, Aeroflot pilots received about 300 thousand rubles a month. If you take international airlines, they are ready to pay their employees from 50 to 100 thousand dollars a year.

If we talk about the air force, here the salary of the pilot ranges from 50-70 thousand rubles. True, officers who have served for the good of their homeland for more than five years can expect a salary of 100 thousand rubles. In addition, according to the current legislation, the state provides housing for all military pilots.