Career as a Fighter Pilot in the Indian Air Force: Have You Got What it Takes?

chillibreeze writer — Neeraj Ramchandran

Have you got what it takes?

Do you often find yourself wondering that you are a little too adventurous to be doing a desk job? Do you believe that you are built for bigger challenges in life? Are ‘patriotism’, ‘honour’, ‘camaraderie’ and ‘pride’ not merely punch lines, but a way of life to you? Look no further! The Indian Air Force is just the place for you!

A career as an aviator has something new and exciting to offer every day; it is an incredibly satisfying profession where you get to fulfil all your aspirations, a profession where you don’t just grow— you evolve.

IAF boasts of some of the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art aircrafts in the world – the Su-30MKI, Mirage, the MIG variants and the Jaguar, allowing one to transcend the sound barrier. The IAF also offers one an exciting chance to fly helicopters like Mi-17, Mi-26 and Mi-35 and transport aircrafts in the form of Ilyushin, Dornier and Avro.

So, what does one have to do to get in?

After you have completed your 10+2 with Mathematics and Physics, you can appear for the NDA exam conducted by the UPSC. For science and engineering graduates, the exam conducted is CDSE (Combined Defence Services Examination). Successful candidates are called for the SSB (Services Selection Board) test. The SSB test for the flying branch has two screening tests called INSB (Instrument Battery Test) and PABT (Pilot Aptitude Battery Test).

The INSB is a test which is administered after an IAF officer gives you a one-hour lesson on how to read various instruments on the plane. It gauges how fast one can record the readings with accuracy.

The PABT is a test to check psycho-motor skills. The important thing about these two tests is that it is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Candidates who fail these tests cannot ever become pilots in the IAF. For those who get through, the rest of the SSB test is aimed at finding out if a candidate has the requisite officer-like qualities by means of group tests, psychological tests and interviews. If the candidate is recommended, he proceeds for the medical examination, which again is quite thorough and strict. On clearing the medicals, an all-India merit list is prepared and the candidates receive call letters on the basis of the availability of seats.

The NDA candidates undergo a three-year course and are awarded a B.Sc degree before being inducted as a pilot trainee in the Air Force Academy. The CDSE candidates directly join the AFA for pilot training. At the academy, the cadets undergo pre-flying training followed by basic stage and advanced stage training. After that, they specialize in fighter, helicopter or transport, depending upon their aptitude. Only the top of the class get to choose fighter specialization. From there on, the process of their induction into operational squadrons begins.

As is clear from all the above details, one has to constantly be on his toes to even manage to become a fighter pilot, let alone live the life thereafter. The life of a fighter pilot involves immense mental and physical stress, and only those who handle both these with ease can succeed.

Life is not as rosy and glamorous as it seems in movies like ‘Top Gun’ and the likes. Simply put, the only way to become a fighter pilot is to understand exactly what it takes to be a fighter pilot, and then do it. Always remember, “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in war”.

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in August, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Neeraj Ramchandran is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka. He has varied interests ranging from travel writing and research-oriented writing to cartooning and making jingles. He has been freelancing for over a year now. In his free time, he likes to volunteer for PETA (People for Ethical Treatment to Animals) and learn new languages.

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