Unemployed and Underground ...

[shanx]

Yes .. It IS frustrating when fresh aspiring pilots in India are ridiculed and bashed up by seniors in the industry ... and now I realise why .. to an extent ...

Some have even said that the average IQ of a CPL holder is a little more than that of an Orang Utan ...

Stuff like this article does not help ...

Unemployed and underground | Mahafreed.com (http://mahafreed.com/unemployed-and-underground/)

"...........
Saddled with debt and the tag of being unemployed, a group of 20 trained commercial pilots met last week at Kalina. They prefer staying anonymous and say there are around 3,000 others like them. They’re people who spent Rs 30- 40 lakh to train and obtain a commercial pilot license, and are now just about barely managing to pay EMI. Some are 21-year-olds, who joined flying schools, after not scoring well enough to make it to medical or engineering school. For them it was the best alternative, but little did they know that three years down the line, the slowdown-hit sector would have no vacancies.
For 22-year-old Divyesh Trivedi the captain prefix before his name is only of ornamental value. Today, after completing 200 hours of flying, the Dadar-resident works with a BPO. “How else do I pay an EMI of Rs 45,000?’’ he asks. Trivedi says it was the air traffic boom, three years ago that attracted a large number of young students to the sector. But that gap was filled by over 900 expat pilots and those who had retired after the government increased the flying age from 60 to 65. “It hurts when airlines continue to employ foreigners when there are so many qualified Indians waiting for a job,’’ he says.
Recruited on a contractual basis, expat pilots are paid 30-70 % more than their Indian counterparts with a bonus of free accommodation. “Their contracts are being renewed and other expats are still being hired. Why the unfair treatment?’’ he asks. “We want a rollback in the retirement age back to 60,’’ say pilots like Trivedi who have come together and formed the Unemployed Pilots Welfare Association of India this year. “For all government jobs the retirement age is 60, then why is it still 65 for pilots? Isn’t it a security risk since the rarefied atmosphere, fatigue and jetlag can make it tougher for retired pilots to fly?’’ they ask emphasizing the need for all pilots to have quick reflexes. Members network using the Internet and hold meetings like the one at Kalina to make sure they make the right noises, at the right decibels. But when they warn out-of-school freshers against attractive aviation school adverts, they are snapped at with, “You are pulling us down,’’ in return.
So severe is the job drought that even small time airlines are taking advantage of the large number of unemployed who are eager to fly. When Air India advertised for 30 trainee pilot posts, it received more than 1,350 responses and no one was selected because of reported irregularities. Spirit Air in Ranchi, a private air-taxi provider invited applications but charged a fee of Rs 6,000 from every applicant. Other private operators charge heavy deposits for every application, making huge profits in the process and do not even tell the applicant the results. “Recruiters are taking advantage of the jobless and milking us as much as they can,’’ says Dhruv Sen who was asked to show 3,000 hours of flying experience by one recruiter. “It takes almost a year to finish 1000 hours, with each hour costing Rs 7000. It is next to impossible for a newbie who generally completes 200-280 flying hours to have that kind of experience.’’
Others believe, aviation related jobs can be created. Members give instances of how Air India and Indian Airlines have accommodated jobless pilots as flight dispatchers and operators in the past. Hiding behind their past, some don’t reveal they ever did the pilot training course. “When relatives ask, I say I took a break from studies but never tell them I spent Rs 40 lakh to end up being jobless.’’
When 25-year-old Anita Padukone was looking for vacancies, she was suggested to spend Rs 15 lakh on a type-rating course that gives aircraft-specific training. “The courses teach the various Airbuses like 329, 319, 321 or the Boeings or some of the smaller aircrafts,’’ says Padukone who thought it was “plain stupid’’ to take up the course with the guarantee of employment. “Three of my friends are sitting at home with the type-rating.’’
(Some names have been changed on request)

..............."

[guitarboy]

I tried to put up the same concerns a while back, but i was thrashed from here to there to dnnow where.

Well Everyone needs to earn money, may it be the press, the expats or the agents who promise to get you a job if you pay up etc..
so basically we Unemployed pilots can just shout and scream but nothing would make a difference anyways cuz even the ministers need to "EARN" and not to forget the DGCA.

The fact that the Air India recruitment was a No show just makes it clearer that if a government Company can do so, then the private airlines must be doing it all the way.

I haven't seen any recruitment for so long, still i see people getting into companies as Trainees. I know 4 of em myself. not like i am jealous of them, they'r my friends n im happy for them, but i believe that every CPL Holder should get an equal shot at that post, rather than just people with Contacts and Money.

So back-doors are booming.

God save us 250 Hour CPL's!

[XanaduX]

Some have even said that the average IQ of a CPL holder is a little more than that of an Orang Utan ...

Excuse me, but please do not insult the average intelligence of Orang Utans by making such claims. Orang Utans are known to be one of the smartest animals on the planet. :E

[dgtl887]

Let's not make a judgement on the intelligence of 4000 people based on the actions of 20 misguided chaps...mmkay ?

[Metro man]

[QUOTE]For 22-year-old Divyesh Trivedi the captain prefix before his name is only of ornamental value.[QUOTE]

200 hours total time and he's going around calling himself captain ?

Obviously he's ready to move straight into the left seat of an A320 and replace an expat with an ATPL and 1000s of hours total/command/type experience.:rolleyes:

[sunny441]

“It hurts when airlines continue to employ foreigners when there are so many qualified Indians waiting for a job,’’ he says.

This article gets funnier each time I read it. Qualified = 200 hours of time.

Welcome to the real world kids.

[IndAir967]

Everytime I see these 250 hour old talk about joblessness I only get furious.

I get even furious when these 250 hours old talk about replacing expats who are a couple of 1000 hours old..

God Damn these guys dont understand how the aviation OR airline industry works..

THOUGH I MIGHT SOUND HARSH.. I ll TELL U .. A MAJORITY OF THESE 250 HR KIDS ARE SELDOM WORTH TO EVEN SIT ON THE LEFT SEAT OF THAT SINGLE ENGINE PISTON..

I have always been saying this.. instead of talking bull**** about becoming an ATCO OR DISPATCHER you first BECOME AN COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO IS EMPLOYABLE..

I KNOW THERE ARE A FEW GENUINE 250 HRS PILOTS OUT THERE.. AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL MAKE IT TO THE RIGHT SEAT..

The rest of em can start working on alternative plans..

You ll never make it to an airline..

SO PLEASE STOP BULL****TING ABOUT JOBLESSNESS..

IAC967:ok:

[shanx]

Indair967, guitarboy,

I am not supporting what's written in that article.

What I meant to say was that the reason why fresh CPL aspirants in India are branded as mindless gullible spoilt kids is because of such lousy newspaper articles and brainless reporting.

What's even more alarming is the fact that there are hundreds of kids who are thinking of undergoing flight training right now.
Fine .. I dont see any problem in that .. its their money and their decision. ... BUT ... the questions they and their parents ask are :

Will I or my son/daughter easily get a job in an airline after completing CPL ?
What will the job scenario be like after a year or 2 years ?
Will foreign pilots leave by the time my son/daughter completes his/her course ?
and worse ...
I will be taking a bank loan of Rs20 lakhs (~$48000) , do you think the job market will "pick up" once Im done with my training so that I can repay my loan easily ???
:confused::confused:

The only thing I tell them right now is ... it is the same as asking ...

Will I get infected with HIV/AIDS if I do IT with a h@@ker without rubber ?? (knowing FULLY well that there are millions already infected and carrying this deadly virus !!!) :ugh:

[tangowithtushar]

lovely post shanx...:} i wish there was a "rolling with laughter" smiley hahah hiv/aids and job chances woww lol

[tangowithtushar]

i agree guitarboy..
every other day i get to hear about some influential 250 hr cpl crook barging his way into the cockpit im still flummoxed as to how it happens:confused:. i spoke to a commander in Indigo who has a daughter sitting with a cpl for 7 months,i asked him "if there is even a remote chance of someone paying his way to an airline job or his minister uncle getting him one"... he said "if contacts could get someone a job my daughter wont be sitting idle depressed i have my say in the right places but still the result is in front of you":\
but still these"captan sahibs" and "shahrukhans" as they are popularly called in this forum seem to have their way..:suspect:
as for me the last post by indair in "indian aviation vacancy thread" was a final whistle, the last reality check..
with no funds left for fi rating ive got my alternate plans chalked out and a "dreamy eyed tushar" locked up tight..

as for for the "expat bashing" "sharukhans" i can only:D in amazement:E

p.s. ive been bombarded with"unemployed cpl holder " jokes on my cells phone but instead of being a tragedy king i prefer to enjoy the humor and treat the reality with not a pinch but a pound of salt

[silent_scream]

Any one who knows the Indian Journalism a tad bit, will know how much out of the article's that come out are true, and how much is fiction.

Are the arguments and measures Wrong or Right, I do not know.

I just know one thing. I WANT to, and as time passes by, I NEED to fly.

I'll leave the policy making to the DGCA and the Bureaucrats.

Yes I can never replace the Expat, WHO, inspite of knowing that the Entire Indian Aviation fraternity, Left, Right and Center,Hates them to the core because of everything that citizens think is Non-Constitutional, Is willing to Teach me how to fly the Airplane the correct way.

Yes I can never replace the Expat,Even after having a Million Hours.Because in the End, We both are Stuck.

All I ask for, is an opportunity to appear, yes you read it right "Appear" for an "Fair Induction Interview". I will take it from there on.

But well, That's too much for a 250 Hour Wonder to ask for. Ain't it ?


Fly Safe!
Silent.

[guitarboy]

@Indair967 : Sir, the matter here is not about us crying for Jobs. We only want a fair trial and in any case every one wants a fair trial, even a murderer.

What Air India did was a Disaster. They simply played us. What Spirit Air / Yash Air and tens others a trying to do is just play us more & hey not to forget Paramount! lol 20+20 Deal!

So basically i can presume that backdoors are happening freely with influence.

All We beg is that 'by chance' if a Company gets a recruitment out, asks us 10k for a sim check 5k for the interview, 3k for registration, 100k just to exist....Atleast we should be sure that its going to be a fair induction. Thats all.

We are humans too. The day i'll be where you are right now, even i would get furious at 20 year olds crying for jobs, but at that moment when I am already in the SYSTEM, Ill make sure that the fair trial is happening and not just worry about my own paycheck at the end of the month.

Quoting what TopTup has been saying all the while : He was asked to pass a guy at the Check when he cudnt even land a plane at 15kts xwind rather crashed 3 times.

If all your "Professional" or may i say "CAPTAIN" PPRuNers are going to let that happen being in the System then the darn system will never change.

Today The Air India pilots are crying cuz they arnt being paid... are you gonna get frustrated at them too for crying for MONEY..?? Are you gonna also tell them to stop bullshi*ting and go back to work.
Just try doing that and you'l get an answer.

Just cuz we are Entry level Nookies doesnt mean we are worth Nothing!

[shanx]

I would say it YET again ...

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

IndAir967, will you and your colleagues call for a total All India pilots strike if we wannabes can give you ample proof and a list of all the pilots who got into airlines (including AI) with corrupt means and by paying bribes ?
.. and all those who paid money to clear their RT exams and DGCA papers ? Including the list of all the agents and officers in DGCA who are involved in this racket ?

The answer is NO. ... because no one is bothered about OTHERS, as long as it does not affect him/her directly.

This lack of unity is the root cause of every suffering in this country (and elsewhere as proven by history).

[IndAir967]

@shanx and guitarboy..
Let me exactly clarify what i ve said..
I am not saying that genuine 250hr olds wont get a job.. especially u guys will definitely will and I am very confident about that but UNTIL U GET A JOB U HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELVES OCCUPIED.. GET YOURSELF MORE ARMED FOR THE BATTLE..
1. GET A DEGREE IF U DONT HAVE ONE.
2. IF U DO THEN THINK OF SOME DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM
IN THE MARKET THAT PERTAINS TO AVIATION AND CAN BRING AN EDGE TO YOUR RESUME.. EVEN IF IT IS AN CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.. GIVE IT A SHOT..
3. THINK OF ALTERNATIVES TO THE DIRECT TURBINE RHS.. THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLYING GOING ON OUT THERE..

IF NOTHING ABOVE SUITS YOU.. THEN REVISE WHAT U VE STUDIED.. TRY GETTING NEW BOOKS ABOUT AVIATION.. ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE..
TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SAFELY OPTIMISTIC AND CAN ENRICH YOUR KNOWLEDGE..

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST KEEP KNOCKING THE DOORS AS YOU NEVER KNOW WHICH WOULD OPEN UP SUDDENLY FOR YOU..

As somebody said there are black sheep in every industry and ofcourse even in IC/AI we ve got kids who are NOT meant to be here..
BUT TRUST ME I DONT WORRY ABOUT THEM NOR DO I CARE ABOUT THEM AND NOR SHOULD YOU BOTHER ABOUT THEM..

IF YOU THINK YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THINGS IN LIFE ..LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO VE WORKED THEIR WAY THROUGH.. TAKE INSPIRATION.. DEVELOP MOTIVATION.. AND ONE DAY FOR SURE WE LL ALL BE PROBABLY ON THE SAME FREQUENCY..CURSING MUMBAI GROUND FOR SCREWING UP START UP SEQUENCE :p

ITS EASY TO TAKE SHORT CUTS TO GET INTO AN AIRLINE.. BUT THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS FOR SURVIVAL.. TRUST ME ON THAT ONE..

I KNOW ITS A BATTLE.. SO PLEASE STRATEGISE YOUR MOVES INSTEAD OF JUST CRYING ABOUT IT.. WINNERS DONT CRY.. AND AM SURE U WONT.. ARM URSELF.. EQUIP URSELF.. AND MAY VICTORY BE YOURS !

BONNE LANDINGS
IAC967:ok:

P.S. I HAVE NEVER BEEN A PART OF ANY STRIKE UNTIL NOW.. AND I DOUBT IF I WOULD EVER BE..UNLESS ON COMPULSATION BY OBVIOUS PEOPLE..

[av8r76]

It took me 10 yrs between my first solo and first flight as a paid crewmember. Thats the deal you sign when you first sit in that 152. Your skills are so narrow and focused that alternative comparable employment is just not possible. I didn't save a dime in those 10 years cos all the money earned was to pay back to flying fees AND keeping my license current for that whole decade.Took every job imaginable in those 10 yrs to keep the ball rolling and all the while kept myself employable. Took a couple of road trips (not in India) trying to put a face to the name on a faxed/emailed/posted resume all to no avail.

Things suck right now as they did 10-13 yrs ago and granted the numbers were much lesser but whining about no jobs is not gonna get you anywhere.

The airlines are not stupid. These outfits are run by ruthless beancounters who... within a heartbeat will show the expats the door if it was possible.

Expat nos are declining and will continue to do so but getting all P2's upto par is not an overnight feat and requires time and maturity on part of the training system and the trainees.

There is no quickfix solution to this dilemma.... even if all the expats were gone tomorrow only a third of the pool will get a job... what about the rest?

Don't blame Yash/hash/para/gara for your current state. These businesses are exactly that... businesses out to make a buck at your expense. It is up to you, the consumer, to filter out the (mis)information thrown at you and make a sound financial decision based on rational, logical thinking... not on some hustler portraying flights of fancy and fat paychecks.

With severe overcapacity at present and no end in sight to the bleeding bottomlines, only those prepped for the long haul will survive the rat race. If you chose this line only to make money, I'm sorry to say you will not see the inside of a cockpit ever. For those who have done it out of passion will hopefully see this to the end.

Good luck to all.

[jethrotull]

Guitar,

I witnessed this same scenario in the early 90s when pvt airlines were allowed to mushroom in India. Fortunately for me i had a engg qulification which i could fall back on once i gave up flying.

Having been in the industry for 22yrs i've noticed that its the political classes who are to blame for the state of India's aviation. I've been always claiming that the growth of the ME airlines is at the cost of Indian jobs, unfortunately this post has vindicated my stance.

Well lets see what are your prospects if you are not os money bag or politically well connected, realistically speaking nil atleast for another 3-5yrs till the next cycle starts, by then the 3000 would have balloned to 5000 jobless pilots.

If i was you i would look at means to highlight the shortcomings of Indian aviation by going to schools and colleges in across India and starting a debate on this. Believe me this will bring your case better into the attention of the powers that be rather than just ''PI$$XXX in the wind'' on pprune.
The Indian politician are corrupt to the core, they have a share in every piece of the pie.
-Be it the agencies hiring the expat pilots.
-Be it dishing out liberal rights to ME airlines whilst denying access to Indian airlines.
-Orders for AI/IA.
-Airports
et al.

By highlighting the shortfalls of Indias aviation policy thru debate you can generate a goodwill and attract the media. There are scores of young girls who have paid hard earned savings of their aging parents aspiring to be airhostesses. You see the younger generation in schools and colleges would be enthusiastic to take up your cause for obvious glamorous reasons.
Aviation has the potential to be a huge industry in India and generate jobs for the growing numbers of Indias youth. This has to approached cleverly. Do not get involved with any political party and get marginalised. The media also loves to see the anguish of ''pretty wanna be trolley dollies and Clever by half 'Tom cruises''. Get your airtime to spin the debate.
I am led to believe there are quite a few apprentice mechanics seeking employment.

Be humble in including everyone in to your cause and ensure you generate the debate on Indias aviation policy, don't limit it to expats, they are but just one of the issues. Indian aviation is being milked by the likes of BA, EK, EY, QR, SQ and LH. Each of these airlines generate nothing less than 10% of their revenue from the Indian sector (this can be sourced from their annual returns stmt) and if you had to extrapolate that to their workforce it would amount to a lot of jobs.

AI/IA were the spoil sport duopolies which have been taken over by the 9W & IT duo. The Aviation policy has to be free and enabling for Indians to create the likes of a Southwest or a RyanAir.

[Wannabe Flyer]

The rest of em can start working on alternative plans..

Hey not fair, don't pass your scrap to us.........other industries have their own problems!!! :E

[Wannabe Flyer]

if we wannabes can give you ample proof and a list of all the pilots who got into airlines (including AI) with corrupt means and by paying bribes ?


That's a funny one!!! Not that I am doubting it, but if a man caught on camera taking bribes for a defence deal could not be indited then what do you have to make sure that they will be!

Lets start with a question to all who are complaining about paying their way in.

"Can you stand up and say without hesitation that you or your parents (for you, including kindergarden admission) have never bribed/used contacts or attempted to pay speed money to get a job done in India, regardless of how correct you where? Maybe it be a small amount to a parking attendant to let you park illegally or buying a ticket in ""Black"" when in college, or to jump the line when getting your drivers license or using the boot legger for that extra hooch!"

If you can then you have the god given authority to make a stink. If you cannot then you and I are part of a system where the buck stops no where. :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

So if it is was you or I who had that job (mind you which are very limited especially in a country of a billion) I am sure we would not be posting here.

Cest la vie!

[tangowithtushar]

Tribal boy with 260 hours flying experience now a cabbie - India - The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tribal-boy-with-260-hours-flying-experience-now-a-cabbie/articleshow/5256440.cms)

NEW DELHI: A Scheduled Tribe boy from Hyderabad wanted so desperately to become a pilot, he took a bank loan to pay for the training and notched
up 267 hours of flying, 17 more than is required for a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL). But, instead of ending up in the cockpit, he now drives a taxi in Hyderabad.

P Chandan Chakravarthy of the Kondakappu tribe could not manage to get his dreams take wing but the lad clearly possessed an extraordinary level of determination.

He enrolled at the Andhra Pradesh FLying Club (now known as AP Aviation Academy) in April 1995. Back then, every hour of flying cost Rs 600. By 2001, when he accumulated 267 hours, the cost had spiralled to Rs 2,800 per hours. A resolute Chakravarthy took a bank loan of Rs 7.5 lakh.

He applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for his CPL but the DGCA turned him down saying his basic qualification — 10+2 from the Aeronautical Society of India — was not recognized. Chakravarthy moved the AP High Court, but was told the courts could do little about a DGCA policy decision.

Undeterred, the lad went back to school, passed the class 12 exam all over again and applied for a CPL once again, in 2006. But the DGCA turned him down again saying he had not flown 200 hours in the last five years. (By 2006, the criteria had changed from 250 flying hours to 200).

In effect, if Chakravarthy wanted to pursue his dream against all odds, he would have to start afresh and painfully clock up flying hours, each of which now costs Rs 10,000. He would have to invest another Rs 20 lakh.

Despite hurdles, Chakravarthy, did not give up hope overall but in the short term, he decided to drive a taxi to feed his family and pay off the bank loan. In the meantime, he pleaded with the DGCA to exempt him from the mandatory 200 flying hours.

Chakravarthy says he could, at best, meet requirements for CPL renewal, that is 25 hours of flying, which includes 15 hours of solo, four hours of cross country covering 250 nautical miles, five night landings, five hours of instrument flying and tripple test or day, night and instrument test. “It will take me six more months. But to ask for a repeat of entire flying hours is beyond my means,” he says.

Now, he has managed to persuade Congress Working Committee Member Oscar Fernandes to write to civil aviation minister Praful Patel, requesting that his case to be dealt with on humanitarian grounds rather than within rule-bound parameters.

Chakravarthy, who has presented his case afresh to the DGCA, now waits to hear the decision that could mean he either gets to the cockpit or behind his taxi’s steering wheel.

[Wannabe Flyer]

I have been meaning to ask. Is there need for PCM in the 10+2 , and does it really contribute to a safer sky or a better learning experience????

If one were to get 40% marks in PCM and 65% in commerce and accounts would it still be a rejection under DGCA rules? What is the applicability of this in other parts of the world, especially where the schooling systems are poles apart from India?

[Wannabe Flyer]

Thanks Freicus!

However I am genuinely confused. As a 15 year old kid once upon a time when I was upto the usual mischief and not too focused on career thought processes amongst other grown up things, I had to take a tough call on what subjects to choose post Class 10. Chem bored me, Physics I liked, Maths was Ok and not really a hassle, but I loved Commerce Geography and History. My grades reflected this too, but that did not mean I was daft and should be excluded from certain career choices. :confused:

At 15 when priorities revolve around sports, fun, girls and other such things I don't think I made the entirely correct choice, which later resulted in me having to resign flying to a hobby vs a Career.

Few years later I had the good fortune of getting a first hand experience of the American Schooling system which has kids studying all subjects upto the 12th and then taking electives in college for 2 years before declaring their major ie: At the Age of 20 when they are better positioned to make the choice.

Friends of mine from this system had made and jumped diverse choices and it amazed me with the window of opportunity it gave them (I have a friend who was DJ, Cardio Thoracic surgeon and then went onto get a MBA and is now a COO of a FMCG company!! Another who was a Pilot before he changed over and now works with the Marketting department of an Automotive company).

The new board system seems to be encouraging this in India, but will the DGCA accept this? Also it still bamboozles me as to what use does the chemistry taught in Indian schools in grade 11 and 12 has to ensure exclusive domain to the aviation industry. Why cannot grade 10 PCM in India be sufficient as for the most part that tends to be grade 12 PCM in other countries????

Till we keep being competitivve and forcing such rules I am not sure the problem of unemployment of the 100's of pilots as well as debate on this forum will end as it lacks the clear thought process that the Indian government seems to have had in the past. Maybe a petition is due considering the rules of education have been changed now, otehrwise a new situation on DGCA rejecting kids from CBSE system might arise!!!!! :yuk:

[abhi88]

:} I think DGCA can solve the unemployment issue by NOT issuing CPL's to guys who scored less than 75% mark for grade 12. That should bring the number from 3000 to 300...

[dgtl887]

DGCA can also solve the unemployment issue by not issuing CPL's to people without a college degree. That will bring the number down from 3000 to 30. :rolleyes:

[draxis]

@abhi88
quote - "I think DGCA can solve the unemployment issue by NOT issuing CPL's to guys who scored less than 75% mark for grade 12. That should bring the number from 3000 to 300"
...
That's like saying eradicate swine flu by eradicating all humans:\

[flyboy_nz]

DGCA can also solve the unemployment issue by not issuing CPL's to people without a college degree. That will bring the number down from 3000 to 30.

How about DGCA issue CPLs after conducting proper Pilot aptitude tests?

The coveted position of an Airline Pilot is not a right just because you have spent Rs. 40 lakhs and you have a CPL. It is a position where you are in charge of the lives of several hundred people. A Surgeon is in charge of the life of one person whom he is performing the surgery on. How hard is it to become a surgeon? I honestly think that getting a CPL should be more tougher.

Think of yourself as a passenger. Who would you prefer flying with? An expat with four thousand hours or the fresh CPL holder who thinks it is his God given right to be called a Captain just because he has a CPL?

All you guys that are complaining that there are no jobs available, bla bla bla, blame yourself. You chose this career path. You should have researched it thoroughly before signing your life away. Yes, the media said that 4000 pilots would be needed by 2010, bla bla bla. Guess what? It's the media. You can't believe everything the media has to say.

There are no airline jobs? Well, go find another job. Driving a taxi is too low for you? I worked as a courier driver for two years during my flight training. I loved my job and I was actually sad to leave because I was really good at it.

The 10+2 Maths and Physics requirement is a joke. Being an instructor for a year in Australia (a year is all it takes to come to this conclusion), I do believe that Pilot aptitude tests should be made mandatory and also the applicant should show a genuine desire for aviation, not the fat pay check, the pretty flight attendants or the title of Captain in front of their name.

[powerstall]

Why blame the DGCA? They are the governing authority not an airline, that can give jobs? Airlines provide jobs. Not the authority.

We could introduce a new test, let's name it THE EGO TEST. :D