A review of Flight Crew Aviation Academy, located in India, with a particular emphasis on their pilot training course. Flight Crew Aviation Academy is an academy in Karnataka, India that provides a variety of courses related to aviation, tourism, hospitality, and management. Here we will cover the eligibility criteria, costs, and course duration of the PPL / CPL course offered by the academy along with some basic information about the academy.
Introduction
Prior to COVID 19, India had a booming aviation market that was expanding by leaps and bounds. Pilots, tourism professionals, hospitality professionals, and aviation management professionals were high in demand but short in supply.
Now with the world opening up once again, pilots, cabin crews, and aviation managers are once again needed desperately to fulfill a demand gap that is even larger than before. Flight Crew Aviation Academy is an academy based in Karnataka that trains motivated, aspiring and young individuals to the highest standards of India’s aviation and tourism industry.
What is the Flight Crew Aviation Academy?
Flight Crew Aviation Academy is an aviation training institute that is based in Karnataka, India with a branch office in Bengaluru and Gulbarga, Karnataka. The academy was the vision of the current chairman and co-founder Mr. Shailender Singh and managing director Ms. Anjum Afshan who worked relentlessly to make their vision come true. They are now seen as industry experts and provide students with top-quality education in the hospitality, aviation, and tourism sectors. The latest branch in Gulbarga was opened in November 2021. If you would like to know more about Flight Crew Academy you can watch this short Youtube video.
What courses does the Flight Crew Aviation Academy run?
The academy offers professional training to prospective students primarily in the sectors of aviation, hospitality, and travel. They also offer English courses for clients looking to improve their English. The following is a list of courses offered by Flight Crew Aviation Academy:
1. Pilot Training – PPL / CPL / Ground classes.
2. Diploma in Aviation Management.
3. Diploma in Cabin Crew and Airline Management.
4. Diploma in Hospitality Management.
5. Diploma in Tourism Management.
6. Basic English Course.
7. Spoken English.
8. Business English Course.
“FCAA offers a unique combination of learning and self development. I got all the support and guidance from the faculty and the placement team I need to give my career wings to fly high in the aviation sector”
RAZIYA SULTANA, Ramp Officer, Indigo Airlines (As seen on the FCAA website – testimonials)
What are the eligibility criteria for entry to the course?
The generic eligibility criteria to apply for Flight Crew Aviation Academy are as follows:
1. The applicant must be aged between 18 and 26 years.
2. The applicant should possess good communication skills.
3. The applicant should not have any visible tattoos.
4. Undergraduates / Graduates along with college students can apply.
Candidates are selected based on a personal interview during the selection process.
For applicants who are interested in pilot training, the eligibility criteria are as follows:
1. A class 2 medical certificate for the PPL (Private Pilot License) course and a class 1 medical certificate for the CPL (Commercial Pilot License) course. The medical certificate must be issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation India.
2. At least 16 years of age to start the course.
3. 6/6 vision is preferred. However, the candidate is still eligible provided he/she has their vision corrected to 6/6.
4. The applicant must have passed the 12th standard.
Pilot training at the Flight Crew Aviation academy is divided into two parts; Ground Training and Flight Training. Ground training covers theoretical subjects such as Air Law, Principles of Flight, Radio Navigation, General Navigation, etc.
The flying training consists of 200 hours. These 200 hours include:
1. 100 hours as Pilot in Command (PIC).
2. 20 hours cross country time as Pilot in Command.
3. 10 hours instrument time.
4. 5 hours night flying.
For students who are interested in the eligibility criteria of other courses, you can click this link: http://flightcrewaviation.com/courses.php
Details regarding the class 1 medical can be found HERE.
How long do the courses take?
Prospective students can expect to complete the pilot training course in approximately one year. However, a more realistic target would be 18 months approximately as there may be delays in flight training due to poor student performance, further skill development, weather, maintenance issues, etc.
How much does the Flight Crew Aviation Academy cost?
Keeping in view the rising fuel prices all over the world, Flight Crew Aviation Academy claims to offer its students PPL and CPL courses for the total cost of 10 million INR, which equates to around 128k USD at the current dollar exchange rate.
Advantages of Flight Crew Aviation Academy
- Fee installment facility for students
- Placement assistance after graduation from Flight Crew Aviation Academy.
- Accommodation is provided by the institute to students who are foreigners or from other provinces of India.
- Books and all related study material is provided by the academy
- Flexible timings for students
- Several glowing testimonials on the website
“I am proud to be a student of FCAA, whatever I could achieve, it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the faculty and management of FCAA”
PRAVEEN B, Security Executive, Spicejet Airlines (As shown on the FCAA website – testimonials)
Disadvantages of Flight Crew Aviation Academy
There are certain features of the website and availability (or lack of) online information which contributes to this list of disadvantages;
- Outdated website, particularly the email on their website is not in use
- Can be Slow to respond to customer queries
- Incomplete information is presented to prospective students on the academy’s website
- Reports of Poor customer handling
How do I enroll in the Flight Crew Aviation Academy?
Prospective students should contact the Flight Crew Aviation Academy by phone or email through their respective queries. The concerned person will guide them and assist them with any queries that they might have. The business hours of the academy are 0930 – 1900 (local time) from Monday to Saturday and 1000 – 1600 (local time) on Sundays. Prospective students can also use the following link to contact the academy: http://flightcrewaviation.com/contact.php
The Head Office is located on Old Nilgiris Road, Keerti layout near Kuvempu Park, St Thomas Post, Kammanahali, Bengalaru, Karnataka.
You can also find them on Facebook HERE.
Is the Flight Crew Aviation Academy a good flight school?
Overall, the Flight Crew Aviation Academy has lots of room for improvement. There have been accusations online by people that Flight Crew Aviation Academy has taken money from them in the past and has not given them satisfactory service. Also, Flight Crew Aviation Academy’s name is not present in the list of academies approved by DGCA India to provide pilot training. You can click this link HERE for a complete list of flight schools approved by the DGCA for flight training.
Students would be well advised to thoroughly research their options and then commit their financial resources.
Flight Crew Aviation academy can improve its image in the eyes of prospective students by updating its website and social media content and improving its response time to customer queries.
They do still have a lot going for them however, as can be seen in the list of advantages above.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Flight Crew Aviation Academy has come a long way since its inception in 2017 with the motive to train students in international aviation, hospitality and tourism. They offer a wide variety of courses to both Indian and foreign students with facilities provided to students. Along with the facilities provided, the academy will also offer placement assistance to its graduates.
With the huge growth potential of the Indian aviation market, as one of the emerging sectors, Flight Crew Aviation Academy can carve out a huge chunk of the market for themselves if they focus more on providing the student with timely and up-to-date information regarding their courses, they improve content and get back to prospective customers quicker.
If you want to find some other ways to study aviation, you can find more options by reading our articles on:
Galaxy Flying Academy: Everything You Need To Know
How To Become A Pilot In Australia
Airlines That Pay For Pilot Training
Colleges With Aviation Programs
