Introduction
In India, being a flight instructor is not a very common profession, but abroad, this is how many pilots start their careers. In India, this profession is generally practiced by majority of the airforce, army and naval veterans, but I’m here to tell you, that anyone can make it. Though you will have to spend some more money to get this done, but if you like teaching and flying, this might be your dream profession.
Minimum requiremEnts
Age – He/she shall be not less than Twenty years of age on the date of application.
Educational Qualification – He/ She shall be the holder of an appropriate current professional pilot’s licence, either a CPL or CHPL and the holder of a current Instrument Rating.
In the absence of a current Instrument Rating, an applicant will not be permitted to impart instruction in Instrument Flying.
Medical Fitness – He/ She shall produce on a prescribed proforma a certificate of physical fitness from an approved Medical Board after undergoing a medical examination during which he shall have established his medical fitness on the basis of compliance with the requirements as notified by the Director General.
Knowledge — He/She shall pass an oral or written examination in the following subjects in accordance with the prescribed syllabus:—
(i) Techniques of applied Instruction.
(ii) Assessment of student performance in those subjects in which ground instruction is given.
(iii) The learning process.
(iv) Elements of effective teaching.
(v) Student evaluation and testing, training philosophy.
(vi) Training programme development.
(vii) Lesson planning.
(viii) Classroom instructional techniques.
(ix) Use of training aids, including flight simulation training devices as appropriate.
(x) Analysis and correction of student errors.
(xi) Human performance relevant to flight instruction including principles of threat and error management.
(xii) Hazards involved in simulating system failure and malfunctions in the aircraft.
Experience
He/She shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed as pilot of an aeroplane or a helicopter, as the case may be, on the date of application for the rating.
(a) twenty hours of flight time as pilot-in-command by night during which at least twenty take-offs and twenty landings have been carried out; and.
(b) two hundred hours of flight time on aeroplanes or one hundred hours on helicopters, as the case may be, in the capacity of an Assistant Flight Instructor or Qualified Flight Instructor in the service of Defence Forces; or.
(ii) five hundred hours flight time as Pilot-in-Command of an aeroplane or two hundred fifty hours as Pilot-in-Command of a helicopter, as the case may be:
Provided that a pilot from Defence Forces who has successfully completed the Qualified Flight Instructor’s course and also satisfies requirements as laid down in this clause and the knowledge requirements may be considered for the issue of Flight Instructor’s Rating if he has not less than twenty hours of flight time as Flight Instructor within a period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of application.
Skill
He/She shall have demonstrated his competency as a Flight Instructor by performing procedures and manoeuvres prescribed in the syllabus by day and by night to the satisfaction of an approved Examiner within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application.
Flight instruction
After completing the experience requirements mentioned above the applicant shall undergo a Flight Instructor’s Course approved by the Director-General before undergoing the skill test as mentioned above and shall provide evidence of.
(i) having received instructions in flight instructional techniques including demonstration, student practices, recognition and correction of common student errors; and.
(ii) having practiced instructional techniques in those flight manoeuvres and procedures in which it is intended to provide flight instruction.
Validity
The rating shall be valid for a period of twelve months from the date of issue of the rating.
In the case of renewal, the period of validity of the rating shall be for a period of twelve months which shall commence from the date following the date of expiry of the previous validity subject to the condition that the application for renewal has been submitted within one month preceding the date of expiry and all other requirements for renewal are met on the date of application.
In cases other than those referred to in the clause above the validity of renewal of the rating shall commence from the date of renewal of the rating.
ConclusIon
I know getting the above experience is not so easy, but few people in India have been able to achieve this by collaborating with schools. For schools to consider you as a flight instructor, make sure you always give your 100 percent and are on top of your game.