How Long Does It Take to Become a Pilot? Step-by-Step Timeline Explained (2026)

Becoming a successful pilot in India is beyond just a career choice; it is the lifelong dream of the youth that they want to fulfill.

But before they walk toward achieving the dream, one practical question that strikes the mind of the aspirant is: “How many years does it take to become a pilot?” The answer matters a lot for all the aspiring pilots since the demand for airline pilots is increasing in India.

To get the answer, you have to explore this complete blog. We have broken down the entire journey of becoming a pilot with the timeline.

Let’s begin this blog to see how long does it take to become a pilot.

Overall Timeline: Time Required To Become A Pilot In India

Before walking the path that leads you to a rewarding career, be aware of the pilot training duration in India, so that it doesn’t feel overwhelming. The entire process of pilot training is regulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and therefore, the ideal timeline is also established by them.

Thus, the average time to become a pilot in India is 1.5 to 2 years. However, how long does it take to get a CPL is completely dependent upon the learning pace of students and other factors.

In some cases pilot career timeline gets extended up to 3 to 4 years or can be more. This is because students have to complete the minimum flying hours, and it gets delayed due to the changing weather conditions in India.

We have created a table that clearly indicates the time it takes for a candidate to obtain each of the pilot licenses.

Step-by-Step Timeline Explained: As Per Pilot Training 

In this section, we take you through the airline pilot training timeline one step at a time. This will help aspiring pilots to gauge how much time they have to invest in each step of their pilot training.

Step 1: Initial preparation, research, planning & medical 

Before you begin pilot training, you need to prepare yourself, which is why proper research and planning are needed. In this stage, you have to make smart decisions that help you to save time and money. Start by doing proper research to understand the pilot training requirements, DGCA medical requirements, and make a cost estimation. Then begin to meet the eligibility requirements of pilot training, which include the following:

• Educational requirement: Must have completed 12th with Physics and Mathematics.
• Age requirement: Must be 17 years to start the training & apply for PPL, and must be 18 years old to be eligible for CPL.
• Medical fitness: Must have Class 1 and Class 2 medical certificates, and have met other medical requirements for becoming a pilot.

Timeline: In this phase, an aspiring pilot has to invest almost 1 to 3 months.

Step 2: Get your Student Pilot License (SPL)

Without SPL, no candidate can start their flight training, so in this step, they must get it from DGCA. After receiving SPL, students can fly solo flights under the supervision of their instructor. It is recommended not to delay this step, or it will disrupt the whole pilot career timeline. This will include the Air Regulations Exam, Oral Test, and police verification. The oral test is conducted by the Chief Flying Instructor.

Timeline: It can take somewhere between 1 to 2 months for an aspiring pilot to get their Student Pilot License (SPL).

Step 3: Ground school: theory classes

After getting SPL, it’s time to start the journey for the Commercial Pilot License (CPL). The first phase towards CPL is the ground classes, where students will prepare themselves for the pilot theory exam. Meeting the DGCA ground class eligibility is a must to proceed and learn the subjects, including aviation regulations & laws, aircraft systems, navigation, meteorology, flight planning, and air traffic control procedures.

Timeline: To complete ground school training, it takes 3 to 6 months for aspiring pilots. Depending on the pace, this timeline can even exceed.

Step 4: Flight training

Learning to fly an aircraft is also a part of pilot training, without which becoming a pilot is questionable. Training includes completing flying hours, learning the technicalities of flying an aircraft, which includes advanced simulator training, and other tasks. Every candidate has to complete a particular number of flying hours, which makes them qualified for the licenses. It should be the goal of the candidates to complete the required flying hours during the flight training.

Every license has its particular flying hours requirements, and candidates must know about them, so we have listed them below.

• Private Pilot Training (PPL): 40 to 60 flying hours.
• Commercial Pilot Training (CPL): 200 flying hours.
• Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL): 1500+ flying hours.

Timeline: To those who want to know how long commercial pilot training takes to complete, you should know it takes almost 1.5 to 2 years. However, the weather in India is quite unpredictable, which can delay the flight training period to 4 years. Limited aircraft availability and the learning speed of the students also affect the training timeline.

Step 5: DGCA pilot exam

After completing ground school and flight training, it’s time to appear for the DGCA exam, which is a crucial step to obtaining the CPL. This exam will evaluate whether aspiring pilots are eligible enough to fly commercial aircraft. In this exam, both theoretical and practical knowledge will be evaluated by the candidate. This step includes flying skills tests, Instrument Ratings (IR), specific technical exams, document verification, and processing the DGCA license application.

Timeline: It takes almost 3 to 6 months to prepare and appear for the pilot exams; in some cases, this timeline can exceed, depending upon the capability of the candidates.

Step 6: Issuance of Commercial Pilot License (CPL)

Passing the pilot exam proves that candidates possessing the airline pilot must have skills, which automatically makes them eligible to get their CPL. After issuance of the Commercial Pilot License (CPL), candidates will become professional commercial pilots and will get permission to fly commercial aircraft. This license also makes them eligible to apply for type ratings and issue an Airline Transport Pilot License.

Timeline: To finally get the CPL, it can typically take 3 to 6 months and can extend to a few more weeks for documentation work.

Factors Affecting The Timeline Of Becoming A Pilot

We have already mentioned at the beginning of the blog that several factors are going to determine how long does it take to become a pilot in India. Knowing the factors is important so that the journey to becoming a pilot doesn’t feel uncertain.

So, here are the key factors explained for your understanding below.

1. Type of training

Pilot training type is one of the major factors that decides the pilot career timeline in India. There are two types of training programs: integrated pilot training and modular pilot training. The former takes less time since its fast track program, and the latter takes longer since its flexible training option.

2. Availability of aircraft

Availability of aircraft is another main concern that can delay the pilot training in India. Aircraft are limited compared to candidates in the busy flying schools, which directly affects the pilot career timeline. The longer it takes to complete flying hours it will delay the issuance procedure of the CPL.

3. Weather condition

The weather in India is quite unpredictable, sometimes cloudy, raining or storms which affects the flight training. Having favourable weather is crucial to completing flight training on time for aspiring pilots. Bad weather in India delays the flying hours, and it can stretch the duration of flight training.

4. Students’ personal dedication & availability

The pilot training duration in India also depends on the personal capability and availability of the aspiring pilots. Some students can complete the pilot training on time; on the other hand, some students take more time. Full-time students can make it faster than those pursuing part-time pilot training in India.

Actionable Tips To Reduce The Time To Become A Pilot

Taking the right steps before starting the pilot training journey can save aspiring pilots from potential delays. You need some tips that help in reducing the timeline to become a pilot beforehand.

We have shared some actionable tips below that will surely help you reduce the airline pilot training timeline. Take a detailed look at them.

1. First clear medicals

It will be a clever idea to get DGCA Class 1 and Class 2 medical certificates before starting the training. Discovering whether you have good eyesight, hearing, or ECG before starting the training will make you more sure and save you from wasting time & efforts.

2. Prioritise DGCA exams

One of the biggest delays in the pilot training timeline comes with DGCA pilot exams, so it is important to prioritise them. Because it may come with failures, and you have to reappear for the exam, which disrupts the cycle. So, appear for the exam alongside flying training.

3. Pick the right flying schools

Choosing the right pilot training school comes as a great saviour for aspiring pilots to reduce the pilot training duration in India. A good flying school has adequate instructors, good quality aircrafts and strong maintenance to let you fly regularly and reduce wait time.

Pilots Pathway: Accelerating The Journey To Become A Pilot

The procedure to become a successful commercial pilot is the same for every aspiring pilot, but how quickly one can complete the training makes all the difference. When you choose best flight school and proceed with smart planning will help you reduce pilot training duration in India.

Pick Pilots Pathway that brings strong infrastructure, quality aircraft, skilled instructors, and advanced training, which makes it the best pilot training institute in India. We focus on getting student medical certificates and completing the theory papers as soon as possible.

This helps students to save their valuable months and allows them to give their complete focus to flight training.

Conclusion

The pilot career timeline is quite long, but carefully planning the journey can save valuable years. But remember that no shortcut can work, especially through the regulations, to win the race.

By now, you have figured out how long does it take to become a pilot and also know the tricks to reach the cockpit as early as possible. Remember, the core simple trick here is no long breaks.

Stay focused and be on the right path, not just the fastest one to take off your pilot career on time.

FAQs