Popularly considered a glamorous field, Civil Aviation is one of the most exciting professions out there today. If you are interested in travelling a lot, like meeting new people and want to be in an exciting profession; then the civil aviation industry is just the right industry for you. Whether you go the pilot, cabin crew or ground staff route….all options can be lucrative for the right candidate.

A pilot’s pay packet is generally quite hefty and the perks include a good life and foreign trips. However, a lot of effort goes into becoming this person who manoeuvres incredibly complex machines weighing hundreds of tons and it is physically taxing, too.
 
A commercial pilot is an aviator who flies an aircraft to ferry passengers or to deliver goods. An aircraft could be an aeroplane that can seat hundreds of people, a smaller chartered plane with a very limited number of seats, a helicopter or a cargo plane. A pilot must acquire a commercial licence before he or she can actually start flying.

Cabin attendants, on the other hand, are the individuals who are responsible for making our journey a safer and pleasant one. Earlier known as an air hostesses, a cabin attendant can now be either man or woman. The job of a cabin attendant includes serving refreshments, instructing passengers on safety procedures, helping passengers in case of any emergency or difficulty on the flight and so on.

Many of us have thought it would be “really cool” to travel the world, visit exotic lands and get paid for it. Though its not always that glamourous because the job can entails long working hours and constantly living out of your suitcase.

The scope for career progression in this field has improved in the recent past with more airlines being allowed into the country. One can become a senior cabin attendant after two or three years on the job, and later if you want to reduce your travel time, you can even move into administration or base operations. One of the alternate options is to be a trainer in technical or customer services.

Insight: Being in the Civil Aviation industry, you get to travel a lot and explore the world. It improves your people management skills and self-confidence  but you have to let go a major part of your social life as the hours can be long and awkward. It can also get lonely sometimes as you have to stay away from home for long periods!