Eyes hooked on blue skies but don’t know how to reach the clouds? Becoming a pilot is an exciting and adventurous journey to follow. Whether you are a young person dreaming of piloting planes or someone with vivid desire to fly later in life, nothing should put you off chasing this dream.
A private pilot license (PPL) is a fantastic first step to fulfilling the goal and can help to narrow down your career interests into aviation. A private pilot is a certified individual holding a PPL certificate that allows them to legally operate and fly all types of aircrafts provided they have the right certification and training. A PPL is ideal to fly for pleasure, charity, explore new locations, taking friends and family for exciting vacations and lot more.
While you can always enjoy the luxury of pilot-in-command as a PPL holder, the commercial Pilot License (CPL) has its own perks. CPL is a mandatory qualification for someone choosing to make a career in aviation. If you are an adventurous flyer and have PPL or CPL and want to fly higher, farther, and faster, a multi-engine rating is something you will want. The multi-engine rating is also a necessary step for any professional pilot who wants to build a pilot career in India at one of the airlines. CPL also enables you to receive the monetary remuneration for flying, apart from offering the luxury of staying in the best hotels, trying various cuisines, travelling cross countries and exploring the best locations in the world.
However, just like every coin has two sides, the job of being a pilot that offers so many perks also have several risks involved. There are certain risks of being a pilot. Besides the obvious risks that come with the aircraft and flying, pilots are often faced with the conditions that can affect their mental and physical well-being. The glamorous lives of pilots are accompanied by stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disruption, musculoskeletal disorders, and sometimes hearing loss. The exposure to sunlight and ionizing radiation heightens the risk of cancer in pilots. This is one of the realities of flying at high altitudes regularly, the atmosphere is far thinner and isn’t able to protect from the sun and cosmic radiation as well as it does at ground level.
Is being a Multi-Engine Pilot good career choice?
A multi-engine pilot is a pilot with credentials that allow them to operate a complex aircraft with more than one engine. Complex aircraft implies the aircraft has retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. With advancements in technology, the commercial aircrafts or the big birds are mostly multi engine based and getting a good hands on training and expertise in multi-engine aircrafts settles as a great pilot career choice in India. As a pilot with the multi-engine land (MEL) rating, you can fly larger planes, whether as a private or commercial operator. Most of the major airlines operating in India that fly domestically as well as internationally such as Air India are based on multi-engine aerodynamics and offer handsome salary to the multi-engine pilots in India. Qualifications to become a multi-engine pilot include minimal education requirements, flight training, and other credentials that vary with the position. If you fly professionally, you must have a commercial pilot’s license from the DGCA.
Challenges and Risks of being a Multi-Engine Pilot
Stepping up to a multiengine airplane typically means stepping up to greater climb, cruise, and payload performance than most singles, and to the perceived safety of two engines and two systems.
1. Proper training and experience
Multiengine training provides new perspectives on planning and decision- making. But two engines can be a double-edged sword. If a pilot of a multiengine airplane is not trained and proficient in handling an engine failure, it can be even more dangerous than a failed engine in a single. That’s why most of the training for a multiengine rating concentrates on single-engine emergencies.
2. Understanding the aerodynamics and Flight characteristics
Multiengine aerodynamics are different from the aerodynamics of single- engine airplanes. Because the propellers are in front of the wings, prop blast increases the airflow over the wing to generate as much as 60 percent of the wing’s lift. The prop-blast portion of the wings’ lift is relatively independent of angle of attack because the props are in a fixed position. Among other things, this can result in high pitch angles for power-on stalls. It also means that gross or abrupt power changes cause significant changes in lift. Therefore, you should avoid such excessive throttle inputs. There is lot more to add to the aerodynamics and understanding of a multi- engine aircraft.
3. Single-Engine Training
Multiengine training includes a number of drills, and each is designed to teach a valuable aspect of performance.
4. Decision making
When the engine on a single-engine airplane fails, your course of action is obvious and uncomplicated. In a light twin, however, your decision- making process is more complex because you have more options.
5. Demands practice
Flying a light twin demands more planning and judgment than flying a single-engine aircraft. The debate surrounding multiengine aircraft and safety continues, but no one argues about the value of good multiengine initial and proficiency training. If not regularly practiced, these fine-honed skills become dull, and your chances of dealing successfully with an emergency diminishes. With a firm understanding of multiengine performance, and recurrent training to keep those engine-out skills sharp, flying a twin is not only safe, but twice the fun.
6. Medical Fitness
The dream to fly a big bird is not easy and is followed by hiccups on your way to the flight deck including the cost, quality and selection of the right academy that take your goal as theirs and fly with you till you touch the skies. Before starting your flying training with an academy in India and contemplating the huge financial and time commitment, you are required to ensure your medical fitness as per the DGCA requirements.
“Visit the DGCA website for more details about the medical requirements and clearance.”
How Garg Aviation can Help?
The next biggest question is selection of the right academy that not only caters to all your needs but also understands the financial burden. Let your dreams take a flight with Garg aviation. In Garg aviation, aspiring pilots are surrounded by passionate people who understand flying and are dedicated towards their success. This immersive environment is good for networking and can lead to a career in the airline industry. In addition, the hands-on training and work experience help develop many necessary qualities such as communication, problem- solving, and a quick reaction time. However, there are certain other factors also that should be considered while selecting the flying academy.
a) DGCA approved training and curriculum
The curriculum at Garg aviation covers the required DGCA flight hours and conditions and provides a professional experience that can help to find a job in Indian airlines as a pilot.
b) School feedback, reviews & reliability
Before joining any flying school, it is advised to check the school’s reputation and reviews. The training should be efficient and respect the prime time of your life by working towards completion of requirements with both pace and safety.
c) Fleet
With continuous advancements in technology, it is important look for an academy with modern fleet. Here, at Garg we offer ……multi engine etc…
d) Transparency of charges – no hidden fee
We work for the betterment of our students and to help them in any possible ways. Many times, a situation arises when you’re initially told a certain cost which seems to be quite less than others. But in most such cases, you become a victim of hidden costs. We have a straight-up policy of providing the exact cost and all the required information so that it becomes convenient for the students to plan accordingly.
e) Location of airfield / stay and food problems
Garg got you covered situated in main city
Conclusion
While there are certainly challenges and risks associated with pursuing a career as a multi engine pilot, those who are committed, disciplined, and passionate about aviation can find great success and fulfillment in this exciting and rewarding field. With the right training, preparation, and mindset, aspiring pilots can overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams of taking to the skies.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the physical and mental demands for a career as a multi- engine pilot?
The lives of many passengers depend on your mental awareness and physical health. You should be Class 1 medically fit, as you have to do transatlantic flights of long duration. You should be mentally fit. To be seated for hours and monitor the radio chatter and focus is very necessary.
2. How competitive is the aviation industry for multi-engine pilots?
Current decade is the decade for multi engine pilots. The industry is blooming and so are the opportunities for multi-engine pilots.
3. Is a career as a multi-engine pilot prone to burnout?
The safety of passengers depend on the collaborated work and active mental state of pilots in the cockpit. One pilot cannot deal with the entire procedure of flying and communicating simultaneously with the ATC. With the bloom in aviation industry, the air-traffic is increasing and hence delegation of tasks is important for the safety of man power and resources.
4. What is the level of stress involved in being a multi-engine pilot?
The stress levels are on a higher side. You have to Follow SOPs strictly for safety of passengers and aircraft and efficiency and profitability for airline.
5. What is a typical work schedule for a multi-engine pilot?
24-hour clock. You can be called anytime but it’s fun. There are many perks involved. You get to meet new people every day and live in new cities, enjoy new cuisines and cultures and receive Hectic schedule compensation.