PLEASE, READ BEFORE PROCEEDING!
The journey to becoming a private, commercial, or airline pilot is a demanding one. The volume of knowledge to acquire and the number of exams to pass is substantial. Regardless of whether you aim to be a private, commercial, or airline pilot, the fundamental principle remains the same.
You need to comprehend the responsibility you undertake when you pilot an aircraft, whether it’s taking friends for a sightseeing trip in a small Piper or flying 400 passengers on an A340-600 from Paris to Los Angeles. The journey to one day piloting an A340-600 is long and requires motivation, discipline, systematic learning, and commitment. Achieving the prestige of being a Captain on a large jet requires a combination of technical and non-technical skills.
Most global aviation accidents occur in the General Aviation sector. The regulations for private licenses are more relaxed than those for commercial and airline licenses. This is because when you earn money to transport passengers, the law imposes stricter requirements for pilot qualifications and licensing.
The fundamental requirements for a military pilot or a civilian pilot are essentially the same in terms of licensing and operation. The difference lies in the specialized operations that military aircraft perform, which civilian aircraft cannot. However, the act of flying an airplane is universally the same.
This explains why, if you aspire to enjoy the prestigious life of an airline pilot, you will have to undergo rigorous selection. The selection process for an airline is as complex and challenging as that for a military pilot. When an airline selects pilots, it looks at long-term investment. When you join any cadet program within a well-established airline, you are selected as a potential Captain, not as a perpetual First Officer.
A Captain is a leader with the ability to make quick decisions and re-evaluate those decisions even quicker to ensure the safety of the plane, its crew, and passengers at all times. Not everyone can be a Captain. It’s as clear as water, “you either have it, or you don’t.”
There are two paths to becoming an airline pilot:
- The cadet program with your national airline, where you will undoubtedly go through the same selection system as a military pilot. For this, you need to prepare yourself. If you fail, you are definitively out, which is why airlines struggle to find candidates due to the high rate of failure.
- Those who fail often revert to private flying schools and pay for their fast-track training to obtain their Private Pilot License (PPL), Commercial Pilot License (CPL), Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) qualification, Multi-Crew Cockpit qualification (MCC), and frozen theoretical Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). The total cost could range from approximately £20,000 to over £80,000.
Of course, some people decide not to go through the Airlines Cadet program and prefer private flying schools. They take their time to finish their studies and then try direct entry selection to the major airlines.
This is a costly endeavor. If you want to succeed, you need to prepare yourself. You need to dedicate at least 2 to 3 hours a day to study if you have chosen this path. And we’re here to help you get ready.
airlines cadet pilot selection process:
As a Cadet You must be a citizen of the country you intend to join the National Airline.
Basic Eligibility Requirements: You must be a citizen of the country you intend to join its National Airline either by birth or naturalization. The Cadet/AB Initio Pilot program is open for both men and usually women. The program can be as well available from private major airlines. Never the less the selection is very similar
GENERAL minimum required education
Education:
Education: You need to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent (Enlisted) or have a four-year degree from an accredited university (Officer) OR You need to have a minimum of 3 years’ basic vocational training (apprenticeship), “ (Bachelor degree” (General/subject-linked university entrance qualification) or “High School Diploma” (qualified for university matriculation).
Physical Fitness
Physical Fitness: Candidates must meet certain physical requirements, including vision, height, and health standards. That includes a medical aviation Class 1 pass.
training performance
Training Performance: The performance of a candidate during training is a crucial factor. This includes their ability to master the technical aspects of flying, as well as their performance in flight simulations and actual flights during the selection days.
Personal Qualities
Characteristics such as leadership skills, teamwork, discipline, and commitment are also important. Candidates will be observed during the whole selection process. (this is the highest cause of failure
The Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)/DLR
US system : The Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB) is the primary test used by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in the selection of officer aviation program applicants. The newest version of the ASTB is series E, and features several technical advances over previous versions of the test.Characteristics such as leadership skills, teamwork, discipline, and commitment are also important. In any case these tests will be available at the US Navy/US Air Force specific locations. Never the less all these test in the US/EUROPE/WORLDWIDE are very similar.
European system: DLR Test: In order to apply to the pilot training programmes of the European Flight Academy you must first pass the DLR test. The DLR test is a computer-aided procedure for determining suitability for pilots, astronauts, and air traffic controllers. It’s conducted by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Luft- und Raumfahrtzentrum, DLR) and is used by various aviation companies and Air Forces.
The test measures various skills and aptitudes. For example, in the Monitoring and Instrument Coordination (MIC) section of the test, you will encounter several instruments similar to those in a cockpit. It will be your task to monitor the instrument parameters and manipulate them if necessary. This test is designed to measure your psychomotor function and your multitask capacity.
Before you can officially apply at the European Flight Academy, you need to take the first selection step: the DLR test3. You will take this test directly at the location of the DLR. The test will examine various skills of yours and subsequently, the DLR will issue a certificate to you setting out a rating in various areas of competence. You will need to achieve a certain rating in order to apply at the European Flight Academy.
Airline induction course, skill test & Final Check
After a successful selection, the candidate will go through the 8-week Induction program, then the full course of the cadet program (failure is still very possible). Then return to the Airline which provides initial training for First Officers , will require Airline Indoctrination (API), Primary Flight Training, Intermediate Flight Training, and Advanced Flight Training. It also includes a Medical Class 1 check, an introductions to OMA, OMB, and OMD, an Induction exam, a Skill Test exam, and a Final Line Check exam. NOTE: Some places like the GULF, the security check can take up 3 months, usually the airlines in this region will only call you for your joining when the security check is approved for your joining.
OUR civilian cadet PILOT PREPARATORY PROGRAM
Brain booster Training
We treat pilots as high-performance athletes. Pilots are required to think quickly and accurately under extremely high levels of stress and make decisions. We are using a special program for that specific training.
Hygiene of Life
Time accuracy and precision are essential for any pilot. All our activities start at 6 a.m., beginning with 90 minutes of fitness training.
Aviation Selection Test Battery/DLR
On daily basis the candidate will train for the psychometric test.
Ground Training Operation
On a daily basis, we will provide you with the required aviation ground school knowledge, training, and tools to get you prepared for your selection Airline Selection.
Flight Training Operation
On a daily basis after the ground school, the candidate will proceed to the mixed-reality simulator to demonstrate the subjects discussed during the ground school. The briefing aspects will have been discussed.
Daily Debriefing
On a daily basis, a debriefing will be conducted for the candidate.
General Progress
In such program we do not put an actual time frame because it all depends on fast the candidate progress. But the average time we experienced with the student is between one month to two month. The Preparatory program is designed to be an stress-free training experience up to the two first week, where progress check will be made, this is where we are informing the candidate if he is gonna make it or not. The general progress of the trainee depends on their ability and capability to assimilate information and demonstrate what they have learned. It’s important to note that learning rates can vary from person to person. Some people may be slower than others, and some may be faster. However, being faster or slower doesn’t inherently mean anything. What is crucial is to see a constant positive curve in the training path of the trainee until they reach a point called the ‘DE-CLICK’ point. This is the point where the trainee has naturally understood the entire functionality of the process and is able to demonstrate and pass all tests without any failure. If no further progress is happening, it means the trainee is ready.