I think many people would like to fly in a plane in the cockpit, and not just sitting next to it, but in the pilot’s seat, controlling the steering wheel.
The good news is that it is possible. Almost anyone can get a license to fly an airplane.
There are many nuances in this matter, I will tell you about them now.
Briefly
What kind of license can I get?
Distinguish several categories pilots:
Private Pilot License (PPL). Can perform non-commercial flights on light aircraft. Training lasts 2-3 months.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL) can make paid flights, transport cargo. Training lasts 2-3 years.
Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). A civil aviation license that allows piloting Boeing, Airbus and other large passenger aircraft. Training lasts 5 years.
This article will focus on the private light aircraft license because it is the easiest license to obtain and allows you to carry passengers without charging a fee.
Where to go to study
You can get a private pilot’s license in Russia by completing training at one of the flight schools. There are about 10 of them in Russia, most of them are located in the Moscow region.
There was no exact list. Official list has not been updated since 2018, and in unofficial data is rarely kept up to date.
The easiest way to find a school is to search Google or Yandex. The second way is to ask for advice at an aeroclub in your city, if there is one, of course.
No matter what school you go to, it’s up to you required diploma of higher or secondary vocational education (specialty/qualification does not matter). Pilot training in Russia is being consideredas additional education, so if you have just finished 11th grade, then the path to aviation is still closed for you.
VLEK
To complete training and obtain a pilot’s license, you must pass the medical flight expert commission (VLEK) in the 2nd class, 3rd column.
List of VLEK on the Rosaviatsia website
To pass the VLEK required:
Passport
An extract from the outpatient card on the presence or absence of chronic diseases for 3-5 years (issued by a therapist from the clinic at the place of residence)
Conclusion of the psychiatric examination by the commission at the place of residence
Conclusion of drug examination at the place of residence
SNILS
Match medical requirements
Military ID or certificate of a citizen subject to conscription for military service (not required in all VLEKs)
Regarding the military ID. If you do not have category A, the VLEK will ask for an extract from the military registration and enlistment office indicating the article and diagnosis due to which a different category was assigned.
The problem is that there are illnesses that can make a person unfit for both service and flying. And there are those that prohibit service but not flying.
Therefore, to save time, it is recommended to choose a VLEK that does not require a military ID.
How does the training proceed?
Getting a pilot’s license is like learning to drive. You’ll have to take a theoretical course and practice.
Theoretical training takes from 140 to 224 academic hours, and flight training takes 35-40 hours.
In flight schools are being studied Air law, aviation safety, general aircraft knowledge, flight characteristics, aircraft planning and loading, human capabilities and limitations, aviation meteorology, navigation, operating rules, fundamentals of flight, radiotelephony and emergency rescue training.
If additionally pass aviation English and get an ICAO lvl 4 mark in your pilot’s license, you can fly your own plane abroad. You will have to land at international airports and go through customs there.
To obtain a certificate you must have flown at least 35 hours. During the training process, takeoff and landing skills are practiced, including at civil airports. But in the first hours, you will fly around the school.
Certificate of a loving pilot
As with the car, not everyone can complete the minimum number of hours. Many people pay for extra hours to prepare for the test.
The exam itself lasts 5 hours, of which 2 hours are spent on testing, 1 hour on pre-flight preparation and 2 hours on the flight.
The theory can only be studied in person. As a rule, training takes place in a group. Some schools provide individual training, which is more expensive. Distance learning is not available anywhere.
There are also no standards for training hours, so schools often have different learning conditions.
After passing the exams, the student receives a diploma of professional retraining and a full set of documents that he needs to obtain a private pilot’s license.
These documents must then be submitted to the Federal Air Transport Agency to obtain a private pilot certificate.
How much does it cost
Training to fly an airplane is expensive. On average, it will cost 1.1-1.3 million rubles. It all depends on the specific school.
Individual training costs ~1.7 million rubles.
If additional flight hours are required, they are paid for separately. On average 20 thousand rubles for one hour of flight.
It is also worth setting aside some time to undergo the VLEK 10 thousand rubles.
In addition, it is worth considering living in another city for the entire duration of your studies, if you need to move. Here, too, everything is individual, so I will not provide specific prices.
What planes can you fly on?
Cessna 172
Most often, training in Russian schools takes place on American Cessna 172 aircraft and its various modifications. This is the most widely produced aircraft in the history of aviation. To date, more than 44 thousand of them have been produced.
The pilot’s certificate will include stand Single-engine aircraft, land-based rating. You can only fly single-engine aircraft. You are not allowed to fly twin-engine aircraft, seaplanes, or helicopters.
In addition to Cessna, you can pay attention to the Italian Tecnam, Canadian Zodiac and American Piper and Cirrus. There are planes for one and two people, but there are also single-engine models for 6-8 seats.
Zodiac CH640
Prices for planes, like cars, depend on many factors. For example, a four-seat 1977 Cessna 172N is sold on Avito for 9.9 million rubles.
Airplanes don’t age as quickly as cars, so year of manufacture is not the most important factor.
Some people buy planes together. In this case, you can save a lot. For example, if you split the purchase between 2-3 people, then one share will cost 2-3 million rubles. The prices are very approximate.
You can also rent a plane. But here everything is much more complicated. Few people provide such services, you will have to look for it yourself or negotiate through friends.
Airplane licenses are issued for life
In general, learning to fly a plane is not the most difficult task. Of course, you will have to learn a lot of new terms. But everything is done in such a way that anyone can get them.
The main problem is that the entire amateur aviation sphere in Russia is still at a very weak level. There are few flight schools, and those that exist do not always post information about their work online. The same problem is with the aircraft fleet.
But the license has no expiration date. However, you will have to renew the VLEK every 2-5 years (depending on age) and the skills check certificate (it is valid for 2 years). Without these documents, the pilot license is considered invalid.
But all this is small stuff compared to the possibilities that your own private jet opens up. Your travels will definitely not be the same, and the road to your destination will probably be more interesting than the place itself.
Source: www.iphones.ru
