WHY JOIN THE AIRFORCE?
Life in the Air Force is adventurous and at the same time well balanced. Adventure primarily constitutes an essential component of military training. It deals with a broad spectrum of Terrestrial, Aqua and aero sports. Life is lived in the self-contained "minicities" created specifically for its citizens. With amenities like messes and institutes, health care, canteen and recreational facilities and shopping areas to relax by, you will enjoy your time at the base. You will have an active social life, wherein this interaction with other Officers from varied cultures will broaden your outlook. Your participation in various functions/parties and events will also hone your acting/ directing/event management skills.
WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS CAREER TRACKS?
You can join the air force in the Flying Branch – flying fighters, transport aircrafts or helicopters. Or you can join the technical branch specializing in mechanical or electronics. There is also the ground duty branch in administration, accounts, logistics, education or meteorology.
The hierarchy of ranks in the air force is: Flying Officer – Flight Lieutenant – Squadron leader – Wing Commander – Group Captain – Air Commodore – Air Vice Marshal – Air Marshal – Air Chief Marshal.
HOW DOES ONE JOIN THE AIR FORCE?
You can enter the air force after class 12 through the NDA (National Defense Academy) exam conducted by UPSC. You can appear for the exam even while you are still studying in class 12. Only boys/men can appear for the exam. You need Maths and Physics as subjects in your class 12. While applying for the NDA exam, you will enter your preference for joining Air Force over Army and Navy.
You can even enter the air force after your graduation by clearing the CDSE (Combined Defense Services Exam) conducted by UPSC. To join the air force through CDSE, you need to have graduated with an engineering, maths or physics degrees. The upper age limit is 22 years, so you should ideally apply in the final year of your graduation.
The Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) also gets you entry into the Air Force. For the flying branch, you need to be a graduate in any discipline and less than 23 years old. Those holding a commercial pilot license issued by DGCA can be up to 25 years old. For the technical branch, engineers up to 28 years old with specified courses in electronics or mechanical engineering can apply. For ground duty branches (administration and logistics, accounts and education), graduates from all disciplines can apply if they are 23 years old. There are separate age restrictions for post graduates, law graduates, Chartered Accountants and a few other backgrounds.
WHAT ARE SOME SOFT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE JOB?
Be sure you can lead a disciplined lifestyle and are comfortable with following the strict hierarchy of command typical of any armed force. Frequent transfers can be unsettling for some. Even though the perks of the job are huge, financial reward is limited. To know the Top 7 Money Making Careers, click here.