Where can I learn to be a civil aviation pilot. Civil aviation pilots: training, profession features and responsibilities

You can become only by getting an education in one of the aviation institutes and schools. They are civilian and military. The most famous aviation institute for civilians is MAI. To enter there, you must provide the following set of documents:

- a certificate of completion of eleven classes of secondary school or a diploma of graduation from a flight school;
– certificate of passing the Unified State Examination;
- medical certificate (form N 086 / y);
- certificate of a citizen subject to conscription (registration certificate) or a military ID (only for men 18-27 years old);
– general passport (copy and original);
- photographs - 3x4 or 4x6, black and white, 6 pcs.

It is also necessary to have a good knowledge in the field of physics and mathematics, since additional exams in these subjects are held upon admission.

Prepare pilots and military institutes and schools. They are located in Irkutsk, Ulyanovsk, Yeysk, Krasnodar and other Russian cities. For admission to each of these educational institutions, you need your own set of documents, the list of which can be clarified by phone. Phone numbers of universities and colleges can be found on reference sites.

After graduating from the desired university or aviation school, you must become an active pilot and fly a certain number of hours in order to be able to get a second education in the specialty "test pilot".

Test pilots - where they are trained

Test pilots are required in both military and civilian. They are prepared at test pilot schools. There are only two of them in Russia - in Zhukovsky near Moscow and the city of Akhtubinsk. To enter there, you must have an education in the specialty of a pilot-engineer, and preference is given to candidates who graduated with honors. Also, only pilots who have flown a certain number of hours are allowed to take the exams. In this case, the age of the applicant must not be older than thirty-one years. Each student entering the school is interviewed. In addition, future test pilots undergo special psychological tests, the purpose of which is to determine their readiness for this difficult and dangerous work.

Training at the test pilot school is carried out for a year and a half. During this time, future specialists fly twelve types of aircraft, and also study various simulators. By the end of the training, students are able to determine the flight performance of aviation equipment, and can also perform flights of any kind.

Mar 21, 2016

For many boys, the passion for aviation begins with aeromodelling courses, but few decide on something more serious. For those who, like Howard Hughes, or who intend to be at the helm of an aircraft, the site asked vital questions about flight training to the owner of the flight school, Andrey Borisevich. Heradically changed his whole life to do a business that burns his eyes - he left the Russian media business and founded the ideal school for flying in Miami.

Andrey Borisevich, owner of the SkyEagle Aviation Academy flight school. Photo: Andrey's personal archive.

Andrei, do you teach at the flight school yourself?

I recently received my Ground Instructor certification, which means that I can teach theory courses in the Private Pilot and Commercial Pilot programs. I have long wanted to complete my training as a full-fledged flight instructor, but administrative functions take up most of my time and there is simply not enough time for my own studies.

What should a person do who decides they want to learn how to fly an airplane?

First of all, decide what it is for. If the goal is to fly for pleasure, then in Russia there are still aviation training centers (I can recommend Chelavia, as the largest in the Moscow region), which can train a private pilot of an aircraft and issue a Russian-style pilot's license. From helicopter training centers, I can advise the proven Heliport, where I got my own helicopter license. After obtaining a private pilot's license (in the Russian Federation it is absurdly called an “amateur pilot” certificate, which is not true), a novice pilot can start flying around Russia on his own or rented aircraft / helicopter.

If the goal is to become a professional civil aviation pilot, then practically the only way is a flight school or academy (Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation, St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation, Krasnokutsk Civil Aviation Flight School) or the same Chelavia, which is currently preparing commercial pilots in Chelyabinsk.

Graduation from these educational institutions does not yet guarantee employment, because in the Russian Federation now there is an excess of active pilots and there seems to be no shortage for obvious reasons (only after the bankruptcy of Transaero, more than 1,000 qualified pilots appeared on the market).

Cessna 172 over Miami (USA), photo: SkyEagle Aviation Academy.

What is the difference between a business aviation pilot and a civil aviation pilot?

The fundamental difference lies in the schedule of work and flights. A civil aviation pilot flies on schedule, working for a large airline (for example, Aeroflot). Such a pilot winds up 80-90 hours a month, has a fairly tight schedule, plus duty in the reserve crew. Well, such a pilot flies with a large number of passengers “behind”, if it is Airbus or Boeing.

A business aviation pilot works for a small charter operator or private aircraft owner. As a rule, the work schedule of such a pilot is “on call”, when the owner or potential client wants to fly somewhere. These pilots have much less flight hours (20-40 hours per month), but the salary can be much higher because they work for wealthy business jet owners who value safety, loyalty and other qualities of a “personal pilot”.

Who is a Line Pilot?

Airline pilot is the highest level of pilot qualification, which confirms that the pilot has more than 1500 flight hours and passed the exams in accordance with the requirements for a civil aviation line pilot. All captains of aircraft on scheduled flights (in large airlines) definitely have the qualification of “Airline Pilot”. Co-pilots are usually qualified as Commercial Pilot.

Russian student Nikolai Batrakov after completing the PPL program at the Fort Lauderdale Executive airfield (South Florida). Photo: SkyEagle Aviation Academy.

What do you need to start studying at your school?

Only three things:

• A wish;
• Language (at least at the Advanced level);
• Money.

What the cost of studying?

We have many programs and options. We train both private and commercial pilots on airplanes and helicopters. In addition, we give additional ratings (instrument rating for instrument flight, multi-engine rating for flights with two or more engines).

The cost of training starts from 10-12 thousand dollars for a private pilot course and up to 50-55 thousand dollars for a full program from scratch for a commercial pilot of a multi-engine aircraft.

What happens at the end of classes? Can I then fly in Russia, Europe?

After training, the student receives a pilot's license (private or commercial, depending on the chosen program) and can fly around the world in aircraft or helicopters with registration N (this is the first letter in the registration number of American aircraft).

If the holder of such a license wants to fly in other countries on aircraft with a different registration, he must undergo a validation procedure. As a rule, any country in the world recognizes the American certificate and the validation procedure does not present any problems.

Andrey Borisevich with a flight school student who validated a foreign private pilot's license to fly a helicopter for an FAA PPL(h) license, photo: SkyEagle Aviation Academy.

What are the hardest parts of learning?

For foreign students, the first problem is the language and radio communication with control services in English. 60% of our students who do not pass the exam the first time do it precisely because of the insufficient level of English.

The second tricky part is the theory. It is very voluminous even for private pilots: you need to know the design of the aircraft, weather and forecast maps, US airspace, radio traffic, navigation, flight planning, and so on. This is such a thick textbook of 400 pages. Plus aviation legislation.

What are the advantages of your graduates compared to other schools?

We put a lot of emphasis on theory. Most American schools prefer to give theory to self-study. Books and teaching materials are given out and “if you have questions, you can ask your instructor.” We profess a different approach and be sure to give theory in the classroom with lectures, presentations, educational materials. This helps with passing the exam and makes the pilots more professional, allows you to learn more knowledge. In addition, since the school is owned by foreigners (Russians), we know how to work with foreign students, what they need, we help with cars, accommodation and even meals during the course of study.

At graduation, the license will be the same for any graduate of any US school, but we hope that the knowledge gained in our school will be more complete, better and correct for safe flights around the world.

Piper Arrow aircraft for commercial pilot training (retractable landing gear model). Photo: Piper.

There are statistics, why do the students of your school learn to fly - for a profession or as a hobby?

50 / 50. Most foreign students study for a profession and work as a pilot in their country. American students generally receive only private pilot licenses and sometimes an instrument rating for instrument flight in bad weather. Although among them there are many who dream of making it a profession. Especially now, with a shortage of pilots in US airlines.

How many hours do you need to fly in order not to be afraid to fly a plane?

Depends on the person, the minimum program is 35 flight hours. As a rule, the average figure is from 40 to 60, but we consider the pilot confident after 100 hours, of which 40-50 he must fly himself, without an instructor.

Is learning to fly an airplane very different from learning to fly a helicopter?

It differs radically! We have students who already have access to aircraft and now they are studying to fly a helicopter. But there is also a reverse story, now we have three helicopter pilots undergoing training for the plane. Including one instructor who plans to continue working at our school.

What technology is taught in your school?

We have five planes and one helicopter. We mainly use the most popular and common aircraft Cessna C172 () for initial training, in addition, we have Piper Arrow for training commercial pilots (the aircraft must be with retractable landing gear) and Piper Seneca II twin-engine aircraft for training for multi-engine rating.

Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Photo: Cessna Media Gallery.

For students of helicopter programs, we use my favorite Robinson R44 helicopter.

Is it possible to rent a plane at your school like a car and fly to another state? How much does it cost on average?

Of course it is possible. In August, I had a guy from Russia who rented a plane for two weeks and flew all over the Bahamas with his wife, then flew across the country to and from and returned. In two weeks, he flew about 50 hours on his own in the United States. A trip like this costs about $10,000. The aircraft can be rented from $140 per flight hour and more.

Another student plans to take a plane from me to travel with his family to the Bahamas for 4 days, it will cost him about $ 3,000.

The priority activity of the flying club "Aist" was the training of amateur pilots (private pilots) who want to get a PPL (Private Pilot License). The flight school conducts training on the Yak-18T training aircraft, which gave a ticket to the sky for more than one thousand Russian and foreign pilots.

Theory and practice of flight business

Flight Training Courses (FCTC) are held in two main stages: theoretical and practical training.

1. The study of the theory of flight is conducted in Moscow, at the training base of our partners - the aviation training center "Wingspan". Previously, we taught theory ourselves, but faced with the fact that it is more convenient for our cadets to attend evening theoretical classes in Moscow in the middle of the week. Theoretical pilot training course includes the following subjects:

• air legislation;
• practical aerodynamics;
• aircraft (AC) 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;
• conducting and phraseology of radio communication;
• aviation security and more. others

1. The pilot school's initial flight training program is conducted at Beloomut Airfield with an experienced flight instructor. Students will acquire the following skills:

• ground pre-flight training for amateur pilots;
• primary piloting skills, first solo flight;
• flight at critically low and high airspeeds;
• exclusion of the spin effect in flight;
• takeoffs and landings in normal conditions and in strong crosswinds;
• stall recognition (initial and advanced) and exit from it;
• takeoffs/landings on restricted areas;
• instrument piloting training;
• flight along the developed route according to visual landmarks, using dead reckoning methods and radio navigation aids;
• flight with imitation of an emergency: failure of the engine, on-board equipment, etc.;
• night flights and more. others

The order and duration of training:

1. 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.
2. 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 an amateur pilot license will be delayed indefinitely. After completing the course, examinations are held in piloting and piloting techniques.
3. You can start performing training flights in Moscow at the same time as attending theoretical classes.
4. With a positive passing of exams in theoretical and flight training, the accountant's documents are transferred to the Working Group of the Higher Qualification Commission of the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation (RG VKK).
5. After passing the certification, the graduate will be awarded a certificate of an amateur pilot PPL (Private Pilot License). With this document, you have the right to fly private jets.

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 the theoretical course of the pilot school 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 rubles/min. The final price depends on several factors, among which the individual psychophysiological characteristics of the accountant play a special role - the type of nervous system, the properties of temperament. However, practice shows that motivational features are still the main ones - interest in flying, the desire to learn, as well as perseverance in mastering the educational material, the regularity of the flight. In a word, pilots are not born, but made. We will help you with this!

A pilot is a rare, sought-after and noble profession. To become a pilot, you need to have impeccable health, a stable psyche, and a strong vestibular apparatus. But only good physical parameters are not enough. If you decide to become a civil aviation pilot, you will have to go through a long course of study, practice for a long time and grow professionally. However, first things first.

The main qualities necessary for a civil aviation pilot

The pilot is responsible for hundreds of human lives, so he must have an exceptional sense of responsibility and emotional stability. Developed intelligence, perseverance, speed of reaction, resistance to stress - these are the qualities necessary for a pilot.

The pilot is responsible for hundreds of human lives

Another important requirement concerns health. Students of flight universities and schools are required to undergo an annual medical examination. If a future pilot has scoliosis, flat feet, a weak vestibular apparatus or heart disease, then the road to heaven will be closed to him forever.

students of flight universities and schools are required to undergo an annual medical examination

Active pilots go through a medical examination twice a year. They take tests and visit narrow specialists in accordance with a long, detailed list. Members of the medical commission with special diligence check the candidate's hearing and vision acuity, the stability of his vestibular apparatus.

Active pilots undergo a medical examination twice a year

To work as a pilot, you need to know the device and principles of operation of the aircraft, to be able to control it. To serve international flights, you need to have a good command of a foreign language.

Where are pilots trained?

You can learn to be a pilot at a university, a flight school or a private flight school. High-quality profile education can be obtained in educational institutions of St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk, Buguruslan.

First way: university

Higher flight schools are funded from the state budget, so you can enter here for free, subject to successful passing of entrance tests. The university is accepted after completing a full secondary school. At the entrance tests, the results of the Unified State Examination in physics, mathematics and the Russian language are taken into account. In 2018, for admission to the budget department of St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation, it was necessary to score at least 192 points. In total, 125 free places were allocated to applicants.

Higher flight schools are funded from the state budget, so you can enter here for free, subject to successful passing of entrance tests

Applicants can choose two study options: 4 years for a bachelor's degree or 5 years for a specialist. Getting into a bachelor's degree is easier than getting into a master's degree. In 2018, the cost of education for one academic year was 178 thousand rubles.

The second way: flight school

Admission to the flight school is carried out on the basis of a competition of certificates. The competition involves grades in all subjects for grades 10-11. You can study at the flight school on a budgetary basis. The state provides students with educational literature, simulators, pays scholarships, provides non-residents with places in a hostel.

The full course of study at the flight school lasts 34 months. During the training, students master the specialty, gain flight hours and receive the qualification "Commercial Pilot". After graduation, graduates can work in the field of commercial aviation.

The third way: a private pilot school

To enroll in a private pilot school, you need to have a secondary general education. There is no competition in admission to the school. Training is provided on a paid basis: approximately 50 thousand rubles. for the theoretical course, plus the cost of practice. The amount you pay for practical training depends on the model of aircraft chosen for training.

To enroll in a private pilot school, you need to have a secondary general education

Private school students receive the necessary set of basic knowledge and skills, from the technical device of the aircraft to professional English. There are three levels of learning in total, which are described in the following table.

Table: Levels of training in a private flight school

An amateur pilot has the right to fly his own or rented aircraft (for example, to fly relatives, acquaintances), but he cannot work in commercial aviation. A commercial pilot has the right to fly light aircraft, fly single-engine aircraft for short distances. An airline pilot is eligible to work as a line pilot.

It is noteworthy that students who have completed three stages of training in a private school have more flying hours than university graduates, so they are more likely to get a job in a major airline.

How to get a job as a pilot: the path from the university to the helm of the aircraft

Most graduates of flight schools and universities dream of getting a job in a major airline. However, for this they do not have enough flight practice. Flight school graduates usually have 150-250 flight hours, and to fill a vacant pilot position they need to fly 1,500 hours. You will have to get the remaining hours in a small provincial airline, and only then, having gained experience, you can move to Aeroflot.

When the required hours are dialed, you can safely apply for employment in a major airline. Be prepared for the fact that you have to go through several stages of selection.

Medical Board

At the first stage of selection, the candidate passes a medical commission. You can pass it in your hometown and come for an interview with a ready-made package of documents confirming your physical health. If the candidates meet the medical parameters, then no height restrictions are set for them. But excess weight can cause cardiac overload during flights.

At the first stage of selection, the candidate passes a medical commission

One of the most common contraindications for working as a pilot is a tendency to motion sickness. This job is not suitable for applicants who feel dizzy or nauseous while traveling in public transport. However, these problems are identified even at the stage of training a future pilot in a university or college.

Testing

At the second stage, psychological testing is carried out, the mental health of the candidate is assessed. The purpose of this stage is to determine whether the candidate is ready to work as a pilot.

After that, the candidate is tested in basic subjects: mathematics, physics, Russian language. Candidates for overseas flights take a serious vocational course in professional English.

Extra education

Many airlines do not allow future pilots to work until they have completed a refresher course. As a rule, the airline pays for training, accommodation and meals for future pilots. After graduation, she allows the pilot to work and deducts 50% of the cost of training from his salary for 5-7 years.

Many airlines do not allow future pilots to work until they have completed a refresher course.

After the candidate has passed all the stages of professional selection, testing and studied additional courses, he is allowed to work.

• Every day, civil aviation pilots carry more than 3 million people on airplanes all over the world. Every 2 seconds, a plane with passengers on board lands or takes off somewhere.
• As of the beginning of 2018, the salary of commanders of Airbus 330 and Boeing 777 aircraft at Aeroflot airline amounted to 650 thousand rubles. Pilots of medium-haul aircraft "Airbus A320" monthly receive 635 thousand rubles. Pilots of peripheral airlines earn several times less.
• Pilots have professional signs. Some pilots never take pictures before taking off. Others do not touch the aircraft with their hands until departure. There are many interesting signs and rituals. But there are no unspoken standards of behavior.
• For pilots, work experience is determined not by length of service and not by gray hair, but by the number of hours flown. A pilot with a flight time of 1,500 hours will be hired by a local airline on a medium-sized plane. For a pilot with a flight time of 4,000 hours, the doors of any airline in the world will open.
• On average, during the year, pilots spend from 100 to 900 hours in the sky, as someone is lucky. The more often a pilot flies, the sooner he will retire. The “lucky ones” with a large number of hours flown can become well-deserved pensioners by the age of 35.

Becoming a civil aviation pilot is half the battle. The pilot must maintain excellent physical shape and regularly confirm the impeccable state of his health at medical examinations. Therefore, we wish the pilots good health and success in their professional activities.

The pilot is one of the most romantic and prestigious modern professions. Almost all boys and girls dream of becoming either pilots or flight attendants. In recent years, the country has experienced a shortage of truly professionally trained pilots. The state solves this problem by attracting foreign pilots. Yes, and the airlines themselves begin a personal hunt for young professionals from their first courses at the institutes.

What actually lies behind a seemingly simple job like simply managing air transport? Just "wanting" is not enough. You need to have a high level of stress resistance, skills, knowledge, and undergo appropriate training.

For a year of service on board a civil airliner, a pilot receives a salary of 10-15 times more than a simple office worker. And here it is worth considering for all young people on the verge of choosing their future profession.

In this area, not everything is so simple and “transparent”. On the one hand, there is a need for pilots, and on the other hand, it is not so easy for a graduate of a flight school to get a good job. Almost all flying establishments basically have budget places, but not everyone will be happy to take them. What does it mean?

The first indispensable condition at the beginning of training, and, in general, before choosing this profession, is having excellent health.

The future pilot must have excellent:

• Vision;
• Hearing;
• the cardiovascular system;
• Lungs and vestibular apparatus.

This is one of the few professions for which there is a strict age limit. You can become a pilot up to the age of 30 and not later. Much attention is paid to knowledge of foreign languages. And English is a prerequisite for admission to major airlines. The more languages ​​a pilot knows, the more likely they are to get a job with a prestigious airline.

Education

Pilot students live a rich and interesting life. Their mandatory training includes familiarity with a variety of types of flight devices at first. Be sure to study navigation, or in other words - the professional language of pilots. Many hours of theory and practice in the control of flight devices, lessons in the application of air routes, orienteering. And also: the basics of first aid and rescue skills, parachuting, meteorology, aerodynamics, design, from engines to aircraft. The volumes of information are unusually large and complex.

Along with the study of theory, students must first practice on special simulators located directly in the educational institutions themselves. Subsequently, the pilot must fly a certain number of hours to confirm the certification for his professional suitability.

After graduation, you will not be able to immediately sit at the helm of a passenger airliner. The graduate must additionally fly hours that will improve his qualifications and obtain a flight license. An employer is always more interested in a pilot who has more flight hours on his track record.

Our country has only three universities where you can get the profession of a civil pilot:

Moscow State University of Civil Aviation

Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation. Air Chief Marshal B.P. Bugaev

Other secondary technical aviation institutions are scattered throughout the country, and, in fact, are small branches of the above universities.

In addition, there are clubs that sell piloting courses.

As a rule, they are commercially oriented with their own step-by-step educational system.

1. Stage one (initial). Issues an amateur pilot certificate without the right to work. You can fly at your pleasure, but without passengers.
2. 2nd stage (commercial). After completing the first stage training, a pilot can improve his skills and get a job on small commercial flights. It is allowed to drive light aircraft with one engine and fly short distances.
3. 3rd stage line pilot. The most demanded and highly paid category in the employers' market. You can get it only by passing the previous two, or by having a diploma from a special educational institution.

Airline pilots have the most flight hours and have priority at the time of hiring over other categories.

License (certificate)

As you already understood from the above, in our country there are 3 categories of civil aviation pilots:

1. Private pilot;
2. Commercial pilot;
3. Line Pilot.

If you want to fly, then get a pilot's license, which will confirm your right to complete a course or institute.

To issue a license or a pilot's certificate is required:

• Age: for an amateur pilot - at least 18 years old, for a line pilot - 21 years old;
• Medical examination. Validity: 3 years if the pilot is under 40 years old, 2 years - after 40 years.
• Certification for theoretical training: aircraft design, practical operation of aircraft, aircraft navigation, aviation medicine.
• The practice of being personally at the helm for at least 42 hours. Flights under the supervision of an instructor qualified for instruction and training on the ground.

If you have a certain amount of money and a desire to fly, you can, if not buy a helicopter, then learn how to fly it.

It is by no means uncommon that in private aviation schools it is possible to obtain a helicopter license almost as easily as driving a car. To do this, it will be necessary to pass the theoretical part of the material and fly the required number of hours.

As for the tuition fees, the price will vary depending on:

• helicopter type;
• your previous training and the amount of knowledge you have in the field of aviation.

Most often, training takes place on an individual basis under the supervision of an experienced instructor. If training takes place in groups, then they are completed up to 5 people no more.

Upon completion of training and passing all exams, a state-issued civil aviation amateur pilot certificate is issued. By this time, you will already be aware of all possible authorized flight routes, and for which air zones additional authorization will be required.