Do you have confusion on becoming Pilot in UAE ? The United Arab Emirates, with its population of 9.89 million people, has 4 well known Flight Schools in the country. It is known for its two largest cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which draw millions of tourists each year and are home to some of the worlds largest airlines – Emirates and Etihad Airways. In addition, the country also has the low cost carrier airlines Air Arabia and FlyDubai which are growing quickly.
All the airlines have a large number of aircraft and are continuing to grow which means they will require pilots in the future. One of the main questions Sunsea Aviation receives is How to become a Pilot in UAE (United Arab Emirates). Hence, Sunsea Aviation has created the below guide to assist individuals from the UAE.
Table of Contents
Step by Step Guide on How to become a Pilot in the UAE
Step 1. Research
Research the different options you have to become a Pilot in UAE. Start of by researching online through Sunsea Aviation , Google, YouTube, General Civil Aviation Authority of UAE, Facebook Pilot Groups and others. The more research you do initially, the more you will know all your options and the process of how to become a pilot in the UAE.
Different Pilot Training Options
- Flight School: Take your Pilot training with a Flight School in UAE or abroad (in recent years a number of new flight schools have opened up meaning more students start their training in the UAE). The training in the UAE is usually more expensive than doing flight training abroad but has a number of advantage factors to consider.
- Aviation related College Degree Program: This allows you to combine a college degree with flight training.
- Airline Cadet Pilot Program: These are flight training programs which include guaranteed employment with the airline upon successful graduation (and some of these programs are sponsored by the airline). You can contact us and we can provide you with the latest information on Airline Cadet Pilot Programs in UAE if you click on the CONTACT US button.
Step 2. Basic Requirements for studying Pilot in UAE
- Age: The minimum age to start your pilot training is 17 years old when you can receive a Student Pilot License and the retirement age for airline pilots actively flying is 67 years old.
- Medical Certificate: In order to start your pilot training, you will need to secure a Medical Certificate – in order to get this, it is best to speak with the Flight School you want to start with and they will help arrange it for you.
- Educational requirement: It is important to note at this point that you can get a Student Pilot License, Private Pilot License, and Commercial Pilot License with a High School Degree.
- English Proficiency: The language of Aviation internationally is English and it is recommended to meet a Level 4 English standard before receiving your Commercial Pilot License – if you are looking to improve your English, you can send us a message and we will give you tips on what courses to take.
Step 3. Training Stages to be a pilot in UAE
- Student Pilot License (SPL): Allows you to start your flight training.
- Private Pilot License (PPL): This license will allow you to fly solo or fly passengers or cargo but without receiving any money for it.
- Commercial Pilot License (CPL): License will allow you to earn from flying and be a paid professional pilot.
- Instrument Rating: Being Instrument Rated means that you can fly the aircraft in any weather condition (example low or zero visibility) using just the instruments.
- Multi-Engine Rating: License which allows you to fly multi-engine aircraft.
If you have any questions regarding for being a pilot in UAE , please do send us a message or Enquire us Here.
Step 4. Career Options
- Airline Pilot in UAE for the large airlines or smaller regional ones
- Corporate or Business Aviation Pilot
- Cargo Pilot
- Charter / Air Taxi Pilot
- Flight Instructor
- Medical / Air Ambulance Pilot in UAE
- Agricultural Pilot and many more options
As an Airline Captain you will earn around US$8,000 per month plus benefits (AED 29, 400)!
Tips for picking a Flight School
Decide on your pilot goals – what are your long-term aspirations in aviation? Do you want to become a pilot in your free time (Private Pilot License)? Do you want to fly in General Aviation (Commercial Pilot License)? Do you want to become an airline pilot (airline program)? If you want to become an airline pilot which airlines are hiring? What aircraft are the airlines receiving over the next few years? Which flight schools do the airlines usually hire from? These are critical questions you should list and get answers to when asking yourself “how will I become a Pilot”.
Determine how much you can afford to spend – different schools have different costs (due to location, number of students, aircraft type and a number of other factors), find out the reasons for the price difference. Do programs have financial assistance/loan programs? Might a part time program work for you?
How much free time do you have – different schools have different training schedules with some offering flexibility while others want the cadets to train full time and on campus (note that delaying flight training usually increases your training cost).
What equipment does the flight school use – this is important from a training but even more importantly from a safety aspect. Take into consideration as well the equipment preference of airlines which will want new pilots to have trained on certain equipment. Find out what the difference is between training aircraft (both from a training and cost perspective). Aircraft age does not always relate to safety, this is dependent on the aircraft maintenance – ask the flight school in detail about their aircraft maintenance department? Safety features of the aircraft?
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