How to become a pilot in the Indian Air Force?

If you want join the Indian Air Force as a Pilot, you will have to be a part of the ‘Flying Branch’ of the Indian Air Force. You can choose to join the Flying Branch after your Class 12th or even after your graduation.

If you choose to join the Indian Air Force right after your Class 12th examinations, you will have to appear and qualify in the National Defense Academy (NDA) Examinations.

If you choose to join the Indian Air Force after you complete your graduation, you can get in through any of the following options:

-          Appear and qualify in the Combined Defense Services Examinations (CDSE).

-          Join the Indian Air Force through Short Service Commissions (SSC).

-          Enter through the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Special Entry scheme.

Joining the Air Force (Flying Branch) after your Class 12th

There is only one way through which you can join the Indian Air Force as a Pilot right after school. And that is, by getting in to the National Defense Academy (NDA). The NDA is one of the most prestigious defense academies of the country and is known for its excellent education and impeccable discipline.

To join the NDA as a Pilot, you will have to appear and qualify in the NDA entrance examination. You will also have to mention Air Force as your preference in the application form. If you get in to the NDA, you will be trained for a period of 3 years at the National Defense Academy, Khadakwasla. This will be followed by a specialized training term at any one of the Air Force establishments. Once you’ve successfully completed your training, you will be commissioned as a Permanent Commission Officer and be posted as a Pilot at any of the Air Force Stations.

The NDA entrance exam is conducted twice a year, generally during the months of April/May and September/October. To be eligible for the exam, you should be a male and not be less than 16 and a half years of age and not more than 19 years of age as of the first day of the first month in which the course is due to commence.

To join the Air Force through the NDA exam, you should have passed your 12th class examination or its equivalents with Physics and Math as your main subjects from an institutions recognized by any Central/State education board. You will also be eligible if you’re appearing for your Class 12th examination in the same year as the entrance examination, provided that you can submit your mark sheet before the specified date. It is to be noted that candidates who have failed INST (Institute of Nano Science and Technology) or PABT (Pilot Aptitude Battery Test) earlier will not be eligible to join the Air Force.

The selection procedure for the Air Force wing of the NDA is a 2 stage process. The first stage consists of the written examination test. This test comprises two parts: Part 1 is a Math based paper and Part 2 is a General Ability Test (English, Physics, Chemistry, Math, General Knowledge, History, Geography and Current Events). The duration of both the papers is 2 and half hours each. Both papers will be objective type and comprise of multiple choice questions. There will be negative marking.

If you will clear the written examination, you will have to appear for an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board. This will consist of two stages:  Stage 1 will comprise of an Officer Intelligence Rating Test and a Picture perception and discussion test. If you qualify in the stage 1 of the exam, you will be subjected to the Stage 2 of the SSB interview which will consist of Psychological tests conducted by a psychologist, group tasks and a personal interview. As you want to get into the Flying Branch of the Air Force, you will also have to appear for the Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT). Please keep in mind that you can only appear for this exam once in a lifetime. This will include written and machine tests to evaluate you on the basis of your ability to read instruments, control of your actions and mental strength. If you manage to clear the PABT and the consequent medical examination, you will be admitted in to the Air Force Wing of the NDA.

The application forms for the NDA entrance exam are available on the following websites: http://www.nda.nic.in, http://careerairforce.nic.in, http://www.upsc.gov.in/ and http://www.upsconline.nic.in.

 

Joining the Air Force (Flying Branch) after your graduation

You can join the Air Force as a Pilot after your graduation as well. There are three ways of doing this:

-          Combined Defense Services Exam (CDSE)

The CDSE is for candidates who want to join the armed forces after their Graduation. You will have to mention Air Force as your preference in the application form. If you clear the CDSE and the subsequent SSB interview, then you will be admitted into the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad for your training. It is one of the premier training institutions of the Air Force. Before you begin your training, you will be sent to a Pre – Flying Training school. Your Flying Training will be divided into three stages, each more complex than the preceding one. Once you complete your training, you can begin your operational flying at the squadrons/units assigned to you.

To be eligible for the CDSE, you should have graduated with an Engineering, Math or Physics Degree. Also, you should not be more than 23 years of age at the start of your training. You will also be eligible if you’re appearing for your final year graduate level exams in the same year as the CDSE, provided that you can submit your mark sheet by the specified date. It is to be noted that only male candidates are eligible for entry into the Flying Branch through the CDSE.

The selection procedure for the Flying Branch of the IAF (Indian Air Force) through the CDSE is a 2 stage process. The first stage is the written examination and the second stage is the SSB interview. The written exam will comprise of 3 different papers of 100 marks each, which will comprise of the following subjects: English, Math and General Knowledge. The duration of all three papers will be 2 hours each. All the papers will comprise of objective type questions in the multiple choice format. There will be negative marking.

If you clear the written examination of the CDSE, then you will have to appear for an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB). The SSB interview will comprise of 2 stages. Stage 1 includes an Officer Intelligence Test and a Picture perception Test. Candidates who qualify in the Stage 1 of the SSB interview will appear for the Stage 2 which will comprise of a psychological tests, group tasks and a personal interview. If you qualify in the all these three tests, then you will have to appear for a Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT).  You can only appear for this once in your lifetime. It will include written and machine tests to test you on your ability to read instruments, to test your control over your movements and your mental strength. If you qualify in the PABT as well, then you will be admitted to the Air Force Academy following a medical exam. Upon completion of your training from the academy, you will be a commissioned pilot of the Indian Air Force.

The application forms for the CDSE exam are available on the following websites: http://www.upsc.gov.in/, http://careerairforce.nic.in and http://www.upsconline.nic.in.

 

-          National Cadet Corps (NCC) Special Entry

National Cadet Corps (NCC) is an organization that is responsible for grooming the youth of this country and inculcating the values of patriotism and discipline amongst them. You can get into the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force if you hold an Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ Certificate of the NCC.

To join the NCC, you should be a part of a school that is associated with the NCC. The NCC training will progress every year and you will move higher up the ladder as your qualifications improve. From the junior division, you will get an ‘A’ certificate. You will have to enroll yourself in the senior division to obtain the ‘B’ and ‘C’ certificates. To join the Air Force through the NCC special entry method, you will need to obtain the ‘C’ certificate. Please note that you can only obtain the ‘C’ certificate once you have the ‘B’ certificate.

If you’re an Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ Certificate of the NCC holder, then you can join the Air Force (Flying Branch) through the Directorate General National Cadet Corps or through your respective NCC Air Squadrons. Only men are allowed to join the IAF as Pilots through the NCC. You will be given permanent commission through this mode of entry.

To be eligible to enter the Air Force through this mode, you should between the ages of 19 – 23. You should hold a Graduate degree in any discipline with a minimum of 60% marks aggregate and you should have passed in Math and Physics in your Class 12th examinations or equivalents. Alternatively, you should have a four year B.E/B.Tech graduate degree from a recognized university with a minimum of 60% marks in aggregate in all the papers put together. You will also be eligible if you’re appearing for your final year graduate level exams in the same year provided that you can submit your mark sheet by the specified date and that you do not have any backlog at the time of the SSB interview. Most importantly, you should hold an Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ Certificate of the NCC to be eligible to enter the Air Force Flying Branch through this mode.

If you have scored an A or B grade in your NCC ‘C’ Certificate exam, and if you meet the other eligibility criteria, then you can appear directly for the SSB interview without undergoing any other entrance examinations. However, this does not mean that you will be selected for sure. You will have to impress the interviewees and the final decision will be taken by them. The SSB interview will be the same as it is for the NDA and the CDSE candidates. It will also include the Pilot Battery Aptitude Test (PABT).


-          Short Term Service Commissions (SSC)

You can join the Indian Air Force as a Pilot through various Short Term Service Commissions. The Short Term Service Commissions (SSC) in Air Force is only for 14 years and is not extendable. This means that you will not be able to serve in the Indian Air Force for more than 14 years as a Pilot. This mode of entry is applicable to both men and women, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria.

To join the Indian Air Force as a Pilot through the Short Term Service Commissions scheme, you will have to appear and qualify in the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT). The AFCAT is applicable to many aspiring candidates, including the ones who want to join the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force through Short Term Service Commissions. The AFCAT is conducted twice a year by the Indian Air Force, generally in the months of February and September.

To be eligible for the Flying Branch (SSC) through the AFCAT, you should between the ages of 19 – 23 (unmarried) as on the 1st of July of the year of the AFCAT. The upper age limit for candidates who hold a Commercial Pilot License is relaxed for another 2 years. You should be a graduate in any discipline and should have secured 60% aggregate. Also, you should have passed Physics and Math in your Class 12th or in your graduation degree. Alternatively, you should have a B.E/B/Tech graduate degree from a recognized university with an aggregate percentage of 60%. Also, you should meet the physical requirements as specified by the Indian Air Force. It is to be kept in mind that you will not be eligible for this mode of entry if you have failed the PABT earlier or if you’re a flight cadet suspended from flying training at Air Force Academy.

The selection procedure will comprise of 2 stages. The first stage will be a written examination that will consist of questions related to the following topics: verbal ability, numerical ability, reasoning, general awareness and military aptitude. The duration of the test will be of 2 hours and will contain objective type multiple choice questions. There will be negative marking. The second stage of the selection procedure will include tests conducted at the Air Force Selection Boards (AFSBs) at Dehradun, Mysore, Gandhinagar or Varanasi.

The second stage of the selection procedure will comprise of two parts. The first part will include an Intelligence Test that will be conducted along with some other tests. The first part is a screening test and only those candidates who qualify will undergo subsequent testing. The second part of this test will include a psychological test conducted by a psychologist, group tests and a personal interview. If you qualify in all of these tests, then you will have to appear for a Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT). This will test you on your ability to read instruments, mental strength and control over your movements. Candidates who qualify in the PABT and the subsequent medical examination will be sent for a 74 week training course at the Air Force Academy. Upon completion of your training from the academy, you will be a commissioned pilot of the Indian Air Force for the next 14 years.

For any further information, please visit the following websites: http://careerairforce.nic.in and http://indianairforce.nic.in/

 


Entrance Exam

MyVideos

Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams, follow their interests & curiosities and see the opportunities in life's setbacks-- including death itself.