Pilot Training Syllabus & Subjects 2024

The pilot training course syllabus is the perfect blend of theoretical and practical subjects to shape students into a skilled pilot. The course curriculum includes two types of training namely flying training and ground training. Flying training is the practical training which includes flying hours designated differently for each license. While ground training includes the theoretical aspects of flying. The pilot training course subjects comprise topics from the fundamentals of flight to emergency procedures, flight planning process and more. 

The syllabus structure for diploma, certificate and UG-level courses is distinct. The UG pilot training course syllabus includes flight physiology, aviation meteorology, air regulation and navigation and others. The diploma course syllabus and subjects comprise air ticketing and reservations, basics of airport operations, passenger handling & check-in procedures and more related aspects. To gain in-depth knowledge of this discipline students must refer to the best books available including To Be an Airline Pilot, How to Become A Pilot, Adventure of Becoming an Airline Pilot and various others. Keep reading to know more about the syllabus, subjects, best books and more related information.

The pilot training course syllabus structure will vary depending on the type of course and the institute. However, students who are going to apply for the pilot training course can check out the generic syllabus pattern given below. 

Pilot Training Syllabus for UG Courses 

The pilot training course syllabus for the UG level such as BA and BSc includes different aspects of flight and aviation such as solo flights, dual flights, airframes and more subjects.

BBA in Airport Management 

The syllabus for BBA in Airport Management may vary from institution to institution. Below mentioned is the generic syllabus structure for this course:

BSc Aviation 

Check out this UG pilot training course syllabus below:

Pilot Training Syllabus for Diploma Courses 

The diploma-level pilot training course syllabus is different from the UG-level structure. This short-term course of 6 to 12 months provides students with the base knowledge of the course. Find the syllabus below. 

Diploma in Airfare and Ticketing Management

The pilot training course syllabus at the diploma level can be found below:

Diploma in Ground Staff & Cabin Crew Training

Check out the syllabus for this course below:

Pilot Training Syllabus for Certificate Courses 

The certificate pilot training course syllabus is designed to provide the base knowledge along with advanced in a short period. It will also differ based on the type of certificate course and the institute. 

Commercial Pilot Training 

Check out the syllabus for CPL below:

Private Pilot Training

Check out the private pilot training syllabus below:

The pilot training course subjects are different based on the course, so students must check out the course curriculum before applying for any course type. The subjects in this training course are based on both practical and theoretical concepts to train students to live their dream careers. Check out the generic pilot training course subjects below:

Certain subjects are common for all semesters in the pilot training course syllabus. Check out them below:

Students applying for pilot training courses need to fulfil a certain number of flight training hours to get their license. Check out the hours for different licenses below:

Commercial Pilot License 

For CPL, students need to fulfil 200 hours of practical flight experience. It is divided into ground training, simulator training, and flying training. The air training includes:

• 100 hours of Pilot-in-Command training, where students control the aircraft.
• 20 hours of flying experience over long-distance to learn navigation skills. 
• 10 hours of flying experience using only aircraft instruments for navigation. 
• 5 hours of flying during night time to learn night-time navigation and procedures. 

Private Pilot License  

PPL requires students to have 40 hours of flying experience. It includes day and night flying, and cross-country followed by other training requirements such as various maneuvers.

Candidates willing to pursue pilot training courses are encouraged to choose various specializations that will help them specialize in the particular field. Therefore candidates can choose from several specializations as mentioned below.

Professional Pilot Specializations

The core Professional Pilot Courses have been listed in the pointers below.

• Private Pilot Flight Laboratory I
• Private Pilot Flight Laboratory II
• Private Pilot Flight Laboratory III
• Introduction to Aviation
• Principles of Flight I
• Principles of Flight II
• Instrument Pilot Flight Lab I
• Instrument Pilot Flight Lab II
• Instrument Pilot Flight Lab III
• Meteorology for Pilots
• Aircraft Systems I
• Outdoor Survival for Pilots
• Instrument Flight I
• Instrument Flight II
• Commercial Pilot Flight Lab I
• Commercial Pilot Flight Lab II
• Commercial Pilot Flight Lab III
• Aviation Weather Services
• Applied Aerodynamics for Pilots
• Human Factors in Flight
• Multi Engine Principles
• Commercial Pilot
• Aviation Law
• Aviation Career Planning and Professionalism
• Aviation Safety Management
• Threat and Error Management in Aviation
• Professional Pilot Capstone

Flight Officer Specialization

The core flight officer courses have been listed in the pointers below.

• Aircraft Systems – Turboprop
• Air Transportation
• Air Carrier Operations
• Multi Engine Flight Laboratory
• Certified Flight Instructor Laboratory
• Crew Resource Management
• Aircraft Systems - Turbojet
• Multi Engine FTD - Baron G58
• Fundamentals of Flight Instruction
• Turbojet Operations
• Turbojet FTD - CRJ-200
• Department approved electives
• (any AVM or AVP course not used in required courses)

Quick Link: How to Become a Commercial Pilot in India?

Pilot Training courses are not only available in the offline course but candidates can also pursue the Pilot Training course through distance learning modes. It is not possible for all the candidates to pursue the Pilot Training courses through offline mode. This is so because not all the candidates are able to meet up the high course fees. Therefore for the sake of these candidates, there are institutes that are offering pilot training courses. These institutes aim at providing the course at the top class level. Some of these top institutes include:

• Red Cap Aviation, Palayamkottai
• Zabeel International Institute of Management and Technology, Ernakulam
• Lily Beach Resort & Spa
• The WB National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata
• Flying Birds Aviation, Academy for Pilot Training and Distance Learning, Ahmedabad

Also read: How to Become a Pilot after 12th?

Candidates who are willing to pursue pilot training have to appear for entrance examinations that include AFCAT, IGRUA, AME CET, TS EAMCET, JEE Main, etc. 

Pilot Training Syllabus- General Awareness

The Pilot Training subjects for the general awareness syllabus have been listed in the pointers below.

• History
• Sports
• Geography
• Art and Culture
• Current Affairs
• Politics
• Civics
• Environment
• Defense
• Basic Science

Pilot Training Syllabus- English

The Pilot Training subjects for the English syllabus have been listed in the pointers below.

• Comprehension
• Basic Grammar
• Fill in the blanks by choosing the appropriate word
• Tenses
• Error Detection
• Sentence Completion
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Testing of Vocabulary
• One Word Substitution

Pilot Training Syllabus- Numerical Ability

The Pilot Training subjects for the Numerical Ability syllabus have been listed in the pointers below.

• Decimal and Fraction
• Simple Interest & Compound Interest
• Time & Distance (Trains/Boats & Streams)
• Percentage
• Ratio & Proportion
• Time and Work
• Average
• Profit & Loss

Pilot Training Syllabus- Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test

The Pilot Training subjects for the Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test syllabus have been listed in the pointers below.

• Odd One Out
• Analogy
• Venn Diagram
• Pattern Completion
• Dot Situation Analysis
• Blood Relation
• Missing Figures
• Figure Classification
• Coding and Decoding
• Spotting the Embedded Figures
• Sequencing

Quick Link: BBA in Aviation

Candidates who are aiming to pursue pilot training courses to have to refer to the best textbooks from the authorized sources. Therefore it is always advised to them to refer to the text books that are written by authorized authors and that cover the full syllabus of the course.

The table below highlights the important textbooks along with the authors' names.

The course structure of Pilot Training includes practical knowledge in the field as well as theory classes that are required for shaping the candidates on the basis of the requirements. This will include on the field training given to the candidates. The curriculum of pilot training is designed to form a disciplined and confident pilot who can fly specific aircraft for the either private or commercial sector. Therefore candidates are also provided with licenses based on the domains they are choosing to work on in the future. A pilot can train for the following license.

• Private License
• Commercial License
• Instrument Rating
• Commercial Single Engine
• Commercial Multi-Engine
• Certified Flight Instructor and Flight Instructor Instrument

The Pilot Training Course Structure has been listed in the pointers below.

• Fundamentals of flight
• Check ride Preparation
• Soft/short field takeoff & landings
• Pilotage and dead reckoning
• Traffic patterns 
• Recovery from unusual flight attitudes
• Discovering aviation
• Radio communications, navigation, systems/facilities, & radar services
• Aerodynamic principles
• The power plant and related systems
• Flight operations
• Emergency procedures 
• The flight planning process
• Take off & landings

Quick Link: Top Aviation Colleges in India 2023