Introduction
Pilots are highly trained professionals whose job is most glamorous and exciting in aviation industry. An intensive training is required for this job and it is rated as one of the most adventurous career. A career in aviation attracts many as it provide opportunity to travel around the globe. The job of a commercial pilot makes him responsible for the aircraft he flies and the lives of his passengers.
A Commercial Pilot License (CPL) is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft. The basic requirements to obtain the license and the privileges it confers are agreed internationally by International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, however the actual implementation varies quite widely from country to country. According to ICAO, it is obtained by successfully completing a course of flight training, passing a number of theory exams, and successfully demonstrating flying skills to an examiner during a flight test or check-ride.
Different types of CPL are issued for the major categories of aircraft: Airplanes, helicopters, gyro-planes, balloons, and airships. A license will contain a number of sub-qualifications or ratings. These specify in more detail the actual privileges of the license, including the types of aircraft that can be flown.
From pre-take off to actual landing and signing off, pilot must be highly responsible. They have to do complex calculations of take-off and landing and have to check fuel needed for the particular distance to be traveled and height and weight to be maintained. During the flight too pilot must be constantly alert, ensuring there are no mechanical snags, maintaining contact with air traffic controls and cabin crew through-out the flight. He also has to keep a record of flight details.
Commercial Pilot Courses offer the students a perfect platform to prepare for a challenging career in the aviation sector. These courses involve extensive training and comprise of several steps before one can become a certified commercial pilot. At present there are quite a number of institutes that offer commercial pilot training courses.
CAREER OPTIONS
With globalization, economic liberalization and a boom in the aviation industry, jobs as commercial pilots are available in airline companies throughout the world. A commercial pilot license holder can start as a trainee pilot followed by a co-pilot for which you would need to achieve a minimum of an Airline Transport Pilot's License (ATPL). This is known as a 'frozen' ATPL until you have completed enough flying hours to apply for a full ATPL and qualify as an airline captain. After this he or she becomes the first officer on board based on ones seniority. Seniority is determined by hours of flying experience and successful completion of various programs. Then one becomes a Commander or Captain and thereafter a Senior Commander. With the privatization, lot of avenues has opened for CPL holders. They can find employment opportunities in both government as well as private domestic and international airlines. Even large corporate houses with their own aircraft require the services of pilots.
As a pilot, you could also work in other areas of aviation, such as crop spraying, flight testing and flight training. If you are a qualified pilot from the armed forces, you can take a conversion course to gain a commercial pilot's license. There is strong competition for pilot training in the forces and you must serve a minimum term before taking up employment with an airline.
FAMOUS PERSONALITIES
Capt. Emily Howell Warner, who, in 1973, became the first female pilot hired by a U.S. scheduled airline. Emily Howell was born on Oct. 30, 1939, and attended Holy Family High School in Colorado. She started flying in 1958; and after amassing her private, commercial, and flight instructor certificates, and instrument and multiengine ratings, she went to work for Clinton Aviation Company as a flight instructor. She rose to the positions of chief pilot, flight school manager, and FAA pilot examiner, racking up more than 7,000 hours of flight time in a period of less than 12 years.
Frontier Airlines hired Emily Howell in 1973; she flew the DHC-3 Twin Otter, CV 580, and B-737. After she flew a short stint with Continental Airlines, United Parcel Service hired her as a B-727 captain. In 1990, she quit UPS to work for the FAA as an aviation safety inspector. Capt. Warner is now the B-737 aircrew program manager for United Airlines.
She holds ratings through Airline Training Programs (ATP), including type ratings on the Boeing 757/767and McDonnell-Douglas MD-80. She was the first woman to be type-rated in a Lockheed JetStar. Her other ratings include CFII MEI, Flight Engineer, Turbojet, Seaplane, Helicopter, and the coveted Master CFI (MCFI) designation from the National Association of Flight Instructors. For Captain Karen Kahn, one of the nation's first female commercial airline pilots and one of the few still working.
Horoscope - Career for Zodiac Signs
Do you consider yourself to be a sharp, energetic, well-rounded person with the drive and tenacity to make your way as a commercial pilot then check if these sun signs are your's,which is in favour for this career
Aries
Leo
Libra
Scorpio
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Institutes : Some of the prominent institutions offering courses in Commercial pilot can be had from the following links.. Click here for more information
