Medicine      20.10.2022

How much does it cost to become a pilot. Pilots of civil aviation: training, features of the profession and duties. Long distance flights

What profession is it - a pilot, where you can get a document certifying your belonging to it, what you should know before making a choice. What is needed to lift the plane into the sky? ? Will there be enough certain baggage of knowledge, which is obtained in flight colleges or universities. These and many other questions are of interest to the young male generation.

To the great regret of applicants and airlines, everything is not so simple. Moreover, the situation in the profession is extremely confusing - on the one hand, there is a shortage of pilots, on the other hand, graduates are not hired. But, everything is in order.

Selection criteria.

Educational institutions of such a plan mainly exist on the basis of budget places, but not everyone who wants to get into them. The reason is the passage of a medical examination, any deviation from the norm may be a reason for refusal.

The future pilot must have a healthy heart, blood vessels, lungs, normal blood pressure, and the vestibular apparatus without disturbances. During the educational process, students, or rather, cadets, will repeatedly undergo a commission, with any health problem, you can part with the profession.

Pilots undergo medical examinations not only during training, but also throughout their working life, they pass carefully, looking ahead with a bias. Probably, for this reason, in our time, much fewer representatives of this profession are graduating than just a couple of decades ago, this leads to the fact that, for example, over a five-year period of time, twice as many pilots retire as they enter the service.

What do pilots learn?

The life of a flight student is very interesting and eventful. To begin with, he gets acquainted with the device of various types of aircraft. He studies the methods and possibilities of operating and managing a ship, in professional language this is called navigation, which includes the theory and practice of how to control an air vehicle, as well as routing - orienting it in an optimally chosen spatial path.

They study the design of aircraft and their engines, meteorology, aerodynamics. They learn to provide first aid, parachute jump, master the skills of a rescuer. And every pilot must know English to work on international flights.

Practice usually takes place in training complexes on special simulators.

What awaits graduates.

But, despite the lack of specialists in this profession, not every company opens its doors to young graduates, or rather, they will not open it at all. After graduating from an educational institution, where cadets acquire a small number of hours spent at the helm, they should improve their skills: increase flight hours and obtain a flight license. The more hours a graduate flies, the more favorable he will appear before the future employer

And this is where the graduate pilot runs into a big problem. Even in the last century, all this was very easy and simple, but the educational organizations that issued the license and helped to fly hours were closed or transferred to private management. Because, all this is incredibly expensive - fuel, equipment, repairs and simple maintenance.

How to become a pilot without an educational institution.

As mentioned above, there are flying clubs that provide piloting courses and flying hours, mostly commercial, where there is a staggered training system.

    The first step - upon completion, you get a certificate of an amateur pilot, with which you can fly, but you will not be able to get a job, so to speak - a pilot yourself.

    The second stage is a commercial pilot. Prior to obtaining a certificate of this level, they are allowed only if they have a certificate of the previous level. The pilot already has the right to work, drive light aircraft, go on commercial flights on aircraft that have only one engine. These commercial pilots are usually hired by smaller airlines for short haul flights.

    The third step is line pilots. A certificate of this category also cannot be obtained without the first two or a pilot's diploma, from any educational institution. A line pilot has ten times more flight hours than a university graduate and the right to fly all aircraft, exactly the kind of pilots airline employers are looking for. And not just looking, but literally, tracking and waiting.

To help the future applicant, a list of the main Higher and secondary educational institutions has been compiled.

Civil aviation pilots are specialists who have devoted themselves entirely to life in the skies. These are fearless people who have challenged fate and gone through many trials. Therefore, everyone who dreams of such a profession should be aware that his life path will become just as difficult and thorny.

And if such a fate does not scare, then let's talk about civil aviation in Russia. Where should you go to study? How long will it take, and how then to look for a job?

The start of a long journey

First of all, you should be aware of the fact that it will take quite a long time to study as a civil aviation pilot. Indeed, unlike a car, flying an aircraft requires extensive knowledge: from its structure to the features of flying in bad weather.

Therefore, it is worth preparing for the fact that you will have to study "tons" of educational material. At the same time, it is not just to memorize all the information, but to be able to correctly use it during flights. Especially if in the future you have plans to get a job in a commercial structure.

Flight licenses

Today, all civil aviation pilots are divided into three broad categories. This happens because of the strict licensing system that absolutely all pilots must pass. It is she who subsequently determines what kind of winged machines a person can control.

  1. PPL or private pilot. Possession of this document grants the right to fly small aircraft not intended for cargo transportation. Simply put, a person can fly as much as he likes for his pleasure, but at the same time no one will take him to work.
  2. CPL or commercial pilot. This type of license allows a person to deliver small loads, make tourist overflights and lift paratroopers into the sky.
  3. ATPL or line pilot. What can I say, this is the highest category of pilots, allowing you to fly multi-ton passenger airliners.

civil aviation

As soon as a person decides to embark on this path, he immediately faces a choice: apply to a flight school or limit himself to an aviation school? Oddly enough, both options have their pros and cons, so let's look at them separately.

Let's start with flight schools. here it is higher, since much more time is allocated for pilot training. In addition, students are taught not only piloting, but also other disciplines - physics, advanced mathematics and law. This allows you to educate comprehensively developed pilots who are able to perform their duties with high quality.

As for the minuses, flight schools and academies conduct recruitment based on the state order. This leads to the fact that from 10 to 12 applicants apply for one place. In addition, many accomplished civil aviation pilots say that the technical base of our educational institutions is noticeably outdated. Because of this, their graduates have to take additional courses in order to understand the peculiarities of piloting new aircraft.

But everyone can enter the flight school. Here, more important is whether a person has money for education. The quality of education here is slightly lower, although it largely depends on the school itself and what kind of teachers work there. At the same time, it is worth noting that it is much easier to get a PPL category certificate at an aviation school, since here you can take extracurricular classes.

Moving from one category to another

Both male and female civil aviation pilots in Russia pass the same standards to obtain a license. They are different for each document type, so let's look at them:

  1. A PPL type certificate can be obtained by candidates who have reached the age of 16. To do this, they need to learn 155 hours of theoretical material, as well as fly 47 hours on a Cessna 172 aircraft. On average, training in this category takes from several months to one year, depending on the intensity of classes and the type of educational institution.
  2. Candidates over the age of 18 can receive a CPL type certificate. To do this, they need to have a PPL type license or complete this training course from scratch. In addition, they will have to study more than 600 hours of theory, as well as fly 152 hours in a single-engine aircraft. And at the end of the training, close another 30 hours of flights on a navigation simulator and 12 hours on a multi-engine airplane.
  3. The ATPL type certificate is a more sophisticated version of the CPL license. That is, you will need to learn everything that is in the previous categories, only with a greater depth in practice. In addition, you will have to work out flight simulations on passenger and cargo airliners.

Passage of the medical commission

All civil aviation pilots undergo strict medical checks. At the same time, it is carried out both before the start of training and after its completion. Also, a medical commission will have to be passed annually after getting a job, otherwise the pilot will simply not be allowed to fly.

The difficulty lies in the fact that any defect or illness can become a reason for a negative conclusion. If we talk about commercial flights, then doctors can ban flights even because a person does not have a couple of teeth. This is due to the fact that such a defect distorts speech, and this, in turn, makes it difficult to communicate with the tower controller.

Finding a suitable job

In search of work, of course, all civil aviation pilots in Russia start from what kind of license they have. So, if you have a CPL, you should try to get a job with a small airline that provides travel services. As an option, you can consider the vacancies of instructors in flight schools, but then you will have to complete additional courses.

Much more prospects open up for those who own the ATPL license. In this case, it is likely that a large airline will offer you a job. But there is only one thing - most likely you will have to enroll in special courses that allow you to master the management of an airliner.

The trouble is that their cost is quite high. Consequently, it will be necessary to conclude a special agreement, according to which the pilot will deduct part of his salary in order to pay off the debt to the airline. In addition, initially a novice is allowed only to the position of a 2nd pilot, since the captain's position requires experience in flying large aircraft (over 1.5 thousand hours).

Responsibilities of a Civil Aviation Pilot

Airlines often disagree on the finer points of domestic politics. However, there is something that unites them all - the rigidity of the requirements in relation to their pilots. After all, not only the safety of the aircraft, but also the life of its passengers depends on it.

Therefore, all pilots are required to comply with the following five points:

  1. Fly professionally.
  2. Always follow the safety regulations.
  3. Find out in advance the reports of meteorological services.
  4. Check the condition of the vessel before the start of the flight.
  5. Obediently use the commands and tips of the air traffic controller.

Women Civil Aviation Pilots in Russia

Most people are used to the fact that the pilot is a man. Therefore, for them, a female civil aviation pilot is something out of the ordinary. However, the reality is that both men and the fairer sex can fly the plane. That's just for some reason, even today they are approached by large airliners with caution. And yet in Russia there are examples of women managing such giants.

So, Olga Kirsanova has been piloting a passenger plane weighing more than a hundred tons for several years. She is sure that everyone can get a seat in the cockpit of a winged car - the main thing is to want it with all your heart. What is true, Olga herself had to sweat a lot to achieve her position, since the leadership of her airline could not decide on this appointment for a very long time.

At the beginning of the training course at the flight school consisted of two stages. At the first stage, training took place at the Ulyanovsk Higher Aviation School with a degree in Flight Operation of Aircraft. Studied there for 1.5 years. In the second stage, training was already underway at the Aeroflot school itself on a contract basis for 6 months. If studying at the school was supposed to be free, then at school you had to pay for education, for this the company issued a targeted loan in the amount of the cost of studying. The contract with the student provided that after graduating from the flight school he would work for Aeroflot for 5 years, while he would be deducted money from his salary to repay the loan. But this program is not, since the airline failed to resolve the issue of budgetary financing from the state to pay for training at the first stage.

The average salary of a co-pilot at Aeroflot is an average of 250,000 rubles. Therefore, it will not be difficult to pay off a target loan allocated for studying at a flight school.
In 2013, flight training at Aeroflot consisted of two parts. Initial training took place at an accredited flight center in Florida, USA and took approximately 4.5 months. The course cost $55,000, and this does not include the cost of flights, visas and meals. After training, the students took two exams - for flight training and for the theoretical program. After successfully passing the exams, the student received an American standard pilot's license. Training in the second part took place directly on the basis of the Aeroflot flight school. Here they taught the basics of piloting a particular A320 aircraft. The study took 6-7 months and cost about $30,000.

Admission to Aeroflot flight school

Every year the volume of air transportation in the world increases. Accordingly, the industry's need for young qualified personnel is also growing. The profession "aircraft commander" is traditionally the highest paid in our country after the sea captain. The journalist of the portal Yuga.ru figured out what needs to be done to conquer the sky and the leadership of the airline.

Aviator and pilotIt is the same?

At first glance, the concepts are similar: representatives of both professions fly aircraft. Only the pilot sits at the helm of a military aircraft, and the pilot - a civilian one. They also have different training methods: for pilots, everything is much more complicated. We are also interested in the fate of the pilots.

Before you go to study as a pilot, it is important to soberly assess your physical fitness and state of health - it should be like that of astronauts. Throughout their career, pilots regularly undergo a medical examination, and if deviations are detected, they are immediately removed from flights. No less important are personal qualities, without which there is nothing to do in aviation - responsibility, perseverance, confidence in oneself and in one's actions, leadership qualities, and the ability to make quick decisions. Before admission, the medical flight expert commission (VLEK) conducts a series of psychological tests and decides whether the applicant is fit or not. If these points are in order, you can proceed to the choice of an educational institution.

Where to go to study to be a pilot?

Today, the profession of "flight operation of aircraft" in Russia is taught in two universities and three flight schools. Upon graduation, you will receive a state diploma and a commercial pilot certificate.

1. Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation named after Air Chief Marshal B.P. Bugaeva (UI GA), uvauga.ru

City: Ulyanovsk
Study period: 5 years

The largest aviation university in Russia with the longest history was founded in 1935. It trains specialists in the direction of "aircraft operation and air traffic management" and bachelors in the direction of "flight operation of civil aircraft (co-pilot)". There is an airfield complex with 79 DA 40 NG and DA 42 NG aircraft, as well as a center with Airbus-320, Boeing-737, SSJ-100, Tu-204 aircraft simulators.

Its branches, the Sasovo and Krasnokutsk Civil Aviation Flight Schools, also train pilots.

2. Sasovo Civil Aviation Flight School (SLU GA), sasovoavia.3dn.ru

City: Sasovo, Ryazan region

The school was opened in 1943; in total, more than 20 thousand pilots of domestic civil aviation and more than 1 thousand pilots of foreign airlines graduated from its walls. Training flights are carried out on 39 An-2, Yak-18T 36-series aircraft, Cessna-172S, L-410 UVP E-20, L-410 UVP E.

3. Krasnokutsk Civil Aviation Flight School (KKLU GA), kkluga.ru

City: Krasny Kut, Saratov region
Duration of study: 2 years 10 months

The school has been leading its history since 1940 and has trained more than 27 thousand pilots during this time. The air training aircraft fleet includes 5 Yak-18T aircraft (36th series), 61 An-2 aircraft, 14 Cessna-172 light aircraft, 12 Diamond DA 40 NG aircraft and 2 twin-engine LET L410UVP-E aircraft.

4. St. Petersburg University of Civil Aviation (SPbGU GA), spbguga.ru

City: St. Petersburg
Study period: 5 years

Since 1955, the university has managed to graduate over 50 thousand specialists. Simulator and aircraft flights are performed in full compliance with ICAO requirements, which provide for the study and flights on a single-engine aircraft (Cessna-172S / R or Diamond DA 40 NG) and on a twin-engine aircraft (Diamond DA 42 NG). In total, the fleet of training aircraft has more than 100 units.

And its branch:

5. Branch of St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation - Buguruslan Civil Aviation Flight School (BLU GA), bluga.ru

City: Buguruslan, Orenburg region
Duration of study: 2 years 10 months

Established in 1940, the school has today been given the status of a college. You can practice at seven airfields and 52 Diamond DA 42 NG and Diamond DA 40 NG aircraft.

Theoretically, if you have a higher or secondary technical education, you can undergo professional retraining in non-state aviation training centers (ATC) and get the profession of a commercial pilot in about a year. However, with such a certificate, it will be extremely difficult to get a job with an airline.

And girls are taken as pilots?

More recently, it was out of the question for a woman in Russia to be admitted to the Academy of Civil Aviation for a flight specialty. However, in 2007, a resident of Yekaterinburg, a law student, Ksenia Borisova, sued the educational institution for discrimination and won the case. So today, girls can also safely enter the pilots, and not only civil aviation: this year, not only guys were admitted to the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation Pilot School for the first time.

What is required for admission?

First: obtain the conclusion of the medical-flight expert commission (VLEK GA) on fitness for training and a card for passing a psychological examination. To do this, you must have 100% vision and hearing, no color blindness, normal blood pressure and blood sugar / cholesterol, no serious physical and neurological diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, psychosis or drug addiction.

To pass VLEK you need to prepare:
- test results (for HIV infection, hepatitis B and C, RW, for group and Rh factor) and certificates from psycho-neurological, narcological and dermatological and venereal dispensaries with a stamp or the entry “Not registered”;
- X-ray of the accessory cavities of the nose (with a curved septum will not be taken);
- an electroencephalogram of the brain with a description (this is how a tendency to epilepsy is detected).

You will also need to pass physical standards (running: 1 km - no more than 3 minutes 30 seconds, 100 meters - 13.4 seconds, pull-ups - from 9 times) and pass a lot of psychological tests.

Second: submit a package of documents to the selection committee.

Third: fill out an application for admission, an application form and a curriculum vitae.

Fourth: pass exams in mathematics, Russian language, physics. Sometimes they add English and computer science.

How much will the training cost?

For those who entered the budget, the state provides full maintenance: uniforms, meals, a hostel, a scholarship, the necessary flight hours.

Cadets of paid groups supply themselves. The educational institution determines the cost of education independently. According to the Kommersant newspaper, at the flight school this figure will be approximately 2-3 million rubles, including a flight module of 150 hours. And for the training of a commercial pilot for a foreign aircraft at a university, you will have to pay about 8 million rubles,

Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation has started training pilots for civil aviation since 2018. Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation (MSTU GA) in accordance with the Development Strategy for 2016-2030. plans in 2018 to open a new direction of training under the undergraduate program "Flight Operation of Civil Aircraft". MSTU GA today has all the necessary licenses and permits to start training pilots. Theoretical classes will be held on the basis of the university according to its own educational programs, which for the first two years of study will largely coincide with the training programs for air traffic controllers. To provide simulator and flight practice, the university will use the training facilities of a reputable foreign educational institution.

Where can I get training as a civil aviation pilot in Russia?

Bugaeva Personally, it was difficult for me to get into this institute. I passed in the “second wave”, and there were health problems at admission: I have flat feet.


The surgeon did not want to let me through, sent me to do an x-ray of the foot. Basically, applicants have vision problems and a deviated septum: because of this, most often they are not allowed to enter.
A severe concussion in the past can also cause rejection. At first glance, a deviated septum is not a problem.
However, at high altitude, the pressure on all organs increases (it is not by chance that the ears are blocked there), and with a curvature, you will not be able to breathe through your nose. That is, you won’t be able to breathe properly at work at all.


Studying at UIGA, in general, seems to me satisfactory. Since the beginning of training, about 60 people have already been expelled from us due to poor progress.

Cost of education

For those who dream of working in the sky, there are two ways - a flight school and a school for private pilots. The control of aircraft belongs to the section "technical operation", which means that it is not necessary to receive a higher education - a specialized secondary education is enough.

Attention

Nevertheless, educational institutions impose strict requirements on applicants, which not all applicants meet. For example, before entering, you need to undergo a mandatory medical examination, just like a real pilot before concluding an employment contract or contract (we are not joking), and check the level of physical fitness.


The standards depend on age and gender, the program includes sprinting and long distance running, pull-ups or push-ups, jumps and exercises for the abdominal muscles. The medical flight expert commission (VLEK) assesses the state of not only physical, but also mental health.

Initial training of amateur pilots at the stork flight school

In total, to complete the course, you need to “flow” at least 40 hours. One of the main advantages of the pilot's profession is high wages.

Important

The co-pilot receives an average of 150 thousand rubles. per month, and the first - from 300 thousand rubles, and you can become one already at the age of 26-27, having two thousand hours of flight practice as a co-pilot. In addition, pilots will get a lot of nice bonuses: 70 vacation days a year, corporate air tickets for themselves and their families, and housing if they have to work in another city.


Aeroflot, for example, promises pilots a salary of up to 400,000 rubles. per month (a crew commander with the highest qualification of a commercial pilot can count on such a salary), as well as a social package (up to 300 thousand rubles per pilot annually).

How to become a passenger plane pilot

Only those whom she recognizes fit can become students. Psychological testing means a lot: if two applicants have the same grades in the certificate, the commission will make a choice in favor of the one who passed it better.

Students should not forget about health even after admission: if it worsens during training, the case may end in expulsion. The absolute advantage of state flight schools is the opportunity to study for free.

After completing the course, their graduates are awarded the qualification of a commercial pilot (the second of three possible: a private pilot, a commercial pilot and a line pilot), while private flying schools can only offer a qualification of a private pilot. It will not allow you to find a job in your specialty, but will, in fact, allow you to learn how to fly an airplane.

However, studying at a private school is expensive: a theoretical course will cost 45 thousand rubles.

Aeroflot Flight School: training center

Interestingly, in this test, the questions are repeated several times: only the wording changes. After the test, you need to go through a medical-flight expert commission, which very carefully checks your health, and then pass the physical standards: pull-ups, running 100 and 1000 meters. and mathematics). The advantages of studying at UIGA are state support (uniform, meals, hostel with an additional payment of only 700 rubles per year), an interesting program and excellent practice. The downside for someone, perhaps, is the difficulty in studying, but this is required by the profession, so I do not consider this a disadvantage. Many guys are expelled due to poor progress in aerodynamics, navigation, meteorology, but if you try, everything will be fine.

Aeromag Flight School Aerodrome Kolomna

Read more] If you want to learn how to fly an airplane on your own and start training as a private pilot, Aeromag flight school, located not far from Moscow, is open for you. Learning how to fly an airplane and becoming a pilot is actually very simple, no more difficult than learning to drive a car! Earn a Private Pilot License (PPL) with our C-172S Glass Cockpit Pilot School or learn a new type of C-172S aircraft. After that, you will be able to fly all over Russia! With the introduction of a notification system for flights, it is enough to inform the dispatcher of your route via the Internet one hour before departure. AEC "Aeromag" was founded in January 2011 under the most experienced aviation club of the same name in Russia, leading its history since 1934. The AUC closely cooperates with the Sasovo named after the Hero of the Soviet Union Taran G.A.
Accordingly, saving on the cost of training will not allow you to get a full experience of negotiations with dispatchers. Is it possible to credit the existing flight time? Most of the cost of training is formed due to the need to fly off the practical program, to gain flight experience. There are times when a trainee already has a flight time and wants to credit it so as not to pay twice for hours already flown. Unfortunately, most often such a raid will not be credited. Military aviation and DOSAAF (ROSTO) Air raid received while serving in the armed forces of the Russian Federation cannot be counted when passing civil aviation pilot training programs. Any evidence of state aviation (i.e. military) is not recognized in civil aviation. Therefore, in addition to military pilots, those who flew in the DOSAAF / ROSTO system cannot count their flight time and certificates, because. it is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense.
We can practice on two types of aircraft: Diamond DA 40 (initial training aircraft) and Diamond DA 42 (final aircraft). On the DA 40, cadets mainly learn how to fly: take off, land and visual flights. Everyone must fly 100 hours on it. On DA 42 flights are carried out on instruments and air routes to neighboring cities - Samara, Kazan, Penza, Saransk and Cheboksary. You need to fly 50 hours on it. The period for which you fly this number of hours depends on the instructor and on the time of year: there were guys who “flew off” the original plane in two months. And on the DA 42, the raid is always fast, since the flights are carried out both day and night. In addition, this aircraft is not so dependent on the weather. Usually you can fly the required number of hours in a month and a half. The flight schedule is made by the instructor.

Training for a civil aviation pilot in Moscow price

You should not overpay for those ratings that will not be useful to you in the near future. They will be available later. Organization of training In flying clubs, where training is the main activity, prices are lower due to economies of scale and streamlined business processes.

In an flying club with a couple of aircraft and instructors, training will cost much more (which is what we are seeing in Russia). Also, the cost of training depends on what the instructors are.

In the United States, it is common practice to hire newly graduated pilots as instructors, who were still learning themselves a month ago. In such schools, the cost of education is much lower, but the quality is appropriate. Remoteness of the airfield from a large city The more remote the airfield from a large city, the cheaper the training, as a rule. At the same time, the airfield is often located in uncontrolled airspace.

A commercial pilot license is about 4.6 times more expensive. Airline pilot license is about 6 times more expensive than PPL, about 30% more expensive than CPL.

The integrated ATPL course involves obtaining a "frozen" license. This means that at the end of the program you will have approximately 250 hours of flying time.

And for the ATPL license to take effect, 1500 flight hours are required. Accordingly, you will need to get a job as a commercial pilot or pay an additional 1250 hours to gain the missing flight time.

It is not necessary to immediately take an integrated course from zero to ATPL. You can learn gradually over several years. First PPL, then approvals for flights on multi-engine aircraft and instrument flights. Then CPL, ATPL. It will be more expensive than an integrated course, but you don’t need to immediately allocate a large amount and break away from family and work for a year.
Words cannot express what I experienced during my first training flight: euphoria, joy and anxiety at the same time. If we talk about practical training, then here, if you combine practice with studies at the institute, it is not easy to get used to the regime: getting up at 4:00, leaving at 5:00, in the afternoon you arrive from the airfield squeezed like a lemon, and you still need to restore the missed lectures and prepare for tomorrow. After all, you need to prepare for every flight day. And I also had additional classes in English. There was little free time - that's the main difficulty. But these are, in fact, trifles. After all, after graduating from the university, I will immediately be able to get a job in an airline in my specialty, although there I will need to undergo retraining on a new type of aircraft, which lasts about a year. Alexander Molostov, 4th year student of the Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation. Air Marshal B.P.