A commercial pilot is a professional who is trained in the skills and knowledge required to pilot large commercial airliners in the world thereby enabling international and domestic air travel. A commercial pilot is required to have a license primarily known as CPL (Commercial Pilot License) with the prerequisite of 250 hours of flying before he or she can be hired by an airline. The job profile of a commercial pilot includes several responsibilities:

• Flying fixed schedules in a commercial airline
• Conducting rescue operations whenever needed if employed by a paramilitary force like the coast guard
• Troubleshooting in case the aircraft experiences an inflight failure or emergency

It is a highly specialized professional area of work where one should have undergone rigorous training. So far, India has had flying training organizations that have produced pilots utilizing a very dated CPL syllabus that does not concentrate on the nuances of serving in a multi crew airline environment.

FOP (First Officer Program): This program is an upgraded version of traditional CPL training that produces pilots who are already geared and ready to be first officers in commercial airlines. This program is highly specialized in the sense that they train cadets and prepare them well for Type Rating Courses. This course is not limited to traditional CPL syllabus because the cadets who are a part of this program would be introduced to rigorous airliner training courses including to but not limited to Airline Ground school, Supernumerary Flying, Supervised Line flying, and Release Route checks. A traditional CPL on the other hand provides a limited window of training and the above-mentioned theoretical concepts are not part of a traditional CPL course. These courses are inherently an important part of becoming a highly skilled pilot. Not only in India but the world over, it can also be highlighted that most flying schools lack these essential theoretical concepts because of the unavailability of the professionals required to be able to deliver these courses.

Why take up the course of FOP at GATI?

Currently, the Indian Aviation training industry offers Airline Preparatory Courses to be done after a traditional CPL. By introducing the “Airline Preparatory Course” and following it up after a CPL, they have lengthened the period of training by a few months. At GATI, FOP courses have been designed in a manner that these courses are seamlessly integrated into the day-to-day CPL training. We offer it as part of our regular CPL training.

What do they additionally offer in FOP?

• Fuel Planning and Management
• Aerodrome Operating Minima
• Weather (Chart) Briefings
• Full spectrum Jeppesen Chart Training (All kinds of Jeppesen Charts) 
• Airport (Runway) Lights and Markings
• Jet Engine and Turboprop Engine Theory
• Post-Accident / Incident Briefings
• Concepts of Crew Resource Management
• GPWS
• Mach Number Theory
• TCAS
• Transponder Usage
• Multi Engine Theory (Example: Drift Down Procedures) 
• Multi Engine Theory (Example: VMCA VMCG Briefings) 

GATI teaches these courses in order for new pilots entering the industry to have hands-on theoretical as well as practical knowledge. Many pilots take this course well after they have completed their CPL training which makes little sense. The dream of being an airplane pilot is one of the most beautiful decisions a flying enthusiast can make. GATI helps you realize that dream with quality training that makes you a confident professional ready to take on the challenges of the industry.