Terms & Conditions in India
I have decided lately that I want to pursue aviation, and would like to make an informed decision before jumping head-first into (what is probably going to be) the best and/or worst decision of my life. For some background, I am an Indian citizen, and I can’t afford the cadet programs here in the subcontinent (IndiGo charges $146k USD upfront). I plan on getting a CPL, and figuring out what to do from there because I don’t want to do a self-sponsored type rating or pay-to-fly. From what I can make out, the only real option for me to start my flying career is in India, because I’m not sure airlines in Europe or elsewhere will be willing to sponsor the visa of a complete newbie if I want to enter their cadet/bond programs.
So, I have some questions about the aviation market/jobs/airlines in India right now -
(these questions are stolen off a pprune post from 2004 and I thought that they were quite fitting in my scenario)
1) What are the scheduling agreements for most airlines like? Are the rosters stable or do they change frequently? Random or pattern? What are the patterns like?
2) How many hours can I expect to work per day/month/year?
3) Are there any “hidden traps” in the rosters, like switches from earlies to lates mid week, etc
4) How many days away from home is the average trip, and what are the minimum rest times after a trip?
5) Is there an option for me to be able to be at home by the end of every day? (obviously some uncertainty is guaranteed)
6) How many days at home are guaranteed, and in what chunks?
7) What are the leave arrangements like?
8) How likely is it for me to be able to get leave on special days? (dentist appointment, birthdays/weddings/etc)
9) How is the average pay for a new FO? I’m not expecting anything astonishing but it shouldn’t be crazy low either
10) How much pay can I expect as an SFO and Captain
11) Average time to upgrade to SFO and/or command?
12) What are the arrangements for loss of license/medical/sickness?
13) Do they pay for you (and your family’s) insurance?
Apologies for the massive post, and thanks for any replies in advance!