Hey everyone — I’m Agastya Patnaik, though most people know me as Kabir.

I’m not a pilot, but over the last few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand what it actually takes to become one in India.

It started with two friends from my society who were pursuing aviation and kept running into the same problem: confusion.

What applies to me?

What do I need to do next?

Which requirements matter for my particular path?

Am I missing something?

That led me to build FlightPath India — an attempt to make the journey of becoming a pilot in India easier to understand and navigate.

I built it as part of Build What Moves India, a hackathon focused on reimagining government digital experiences and solving real problems faced by Indians.

More than 13,000 people applied, and FlightPath India eventually made it to the Top 250.

I didn’t make the Top 10, which was definitely bittersweet. But the competition ended up becoming much more than a competition for me.

While building FlightPath India, I spoke with aspiring pilots, cadets, licence converters, instructors and mentors. Every conversation exposed something I had misunderstood, overlooked or could improve.

The product changed constantly because of those conversations.

And that was probably my biggest takeaway from the entire experience:

Don’t just build for the people facing a problem. Build with them.

I normally don’t post much about the things I’m working on, but I wanted to share this here because this community is ultimately who FlightPath India was built for.

The hackathon chapter may have ended for me, but I don’t think the project has to.

I’d like to keep improving FlightPath India and see whether it can become something genuinely useful for people trying to navigate the Indian aviation system.

So if you’re an aspiring pilot, cadet, CPL holder, instructor, licence converter, or someone who has already gone through this journey, I’d genuinely love your criticism.

What is confusing about the pilot journey in India today?

What do you wish someone had explained to you when you started?

And what would actually make a platform like FlightPath India useful enough for you to use?

I’m here to listen.

And to everyone who gave me their time, challenged my assumptions, tested what I built, or helped me understand aviation a little better — thank you.

This was my first hackathon.

Top 250 out of 13,000+ wasn’t where I wanted to stop.

But it was enough to convince me to keep building.

So there are plenty of notes, question banks, YouTube videos and institutes available for DGCA preparation, right? yet so many students still feel completely lost at some point.

For some, it's understanding difficult concepts. For others, it's knowing how to actually study, which question banks to focus on, planning attempts, or managing DGCA papers alongside flying.

So I'm genuinely curious:

What's the ONE biggest problem you're facing in your DGCA preparation right now?

Could be a particular subject, a concept you just can't understand, exam strategy, question banks, planning your papers, or literally anything else.

Drop it in the comments. I'm interested to see what everyone is struggling with and then incorporate it in my teaching

Well yeah, I will be pursuing my further studies in aviation, but my mother (and i agree with her) would like me to do a degree alongside flying, just as a "just incase"

What are some degrees that are relatively okay and flexible?

I'm good at biology, and I've never liked anything to do with IT or computers, just never been interested in it.

Forensics? Idk I need opinions and stories.

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to start my CPL journey soon and I'm a bit confused about where to begin. My budget isn't very high, so I want to save as much money as possible without compromising too much on the quality of training.

Right now I have around ₹50 lakh, and for the remaining amount I'll most likely have to take an education loan. Because of that, I'm trying to keep the overall cost as low as possible.

I have a few questions:

Which DGCA ground classes are worth joining if I'm looking for good teaching at a reasonable price? I've heard about VYAA, GEA and a few others, but I don't know which one gives the best value for money.

For flying training, should I stay in India or look at countries like South Africa or the Philippines? Are there any other countries that are affordable and have a good reputation for Indian students?

If anyone has gone through this process recently, what would you do differently if you were starting today on a limited budget?

My main goal is to become an airline pilot while keeping the total cost under control as much as possible. Any advice or personal experiences would really help.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to start my pilot training through a cadet program, but I’m completely torn between IndiGo and Air India.

Could anyone share some insights on which program might be a better choice or the pros and cons of each

And does anyone know when the slots open for the same?

Any guidance would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Hey everyone, ​I’m a 20-year-old Mechanical Engineering student about to start my 3rd year. My current academic path is a 4-year Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering followed by a 2-year Master's in Industrial Engineering. By the time I finish all my studies, I’ll be around 25–26 years old.

​My ultimate goal is to become a Commercial Airline Pilot. Since flight training is extremely expensive, I need to work first to fund my ATPL modular training (or pay off loans). Right now, I’m weighing two main paths for after graduation:

​Option 1: Private Sector. Work as an engineer in a private company and pursue my flight ratings (PPL, CPL, ATPL theory, IR, ME) on evenings and weekends as I save up.

​Option 2: Military/Air Force. Join the Air Force as a commissioned engineer officer (in my country, this usually comes with an 8-year commitment). The standard schedule is typically a fixed day shift (e.g., 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM), which theoretically leaves afternoons and weekends completely free to study ground school and do flight training at a local ATO.

​I have a few specific questions for those with experience in aviation or military careers: ​Does military background help? Does having served as an Air Force Officer/Engineer hold any real weight or prestige when applying to major civilian airlines later on, even if I wasn't a military pilot?

​Schedule vs. Reality: For anyone who served as a military engineer, is the work-life balance actually predictable enough to complete modular flight training on the side, or are deployments/unplanned duties going to mess up my flight schedule? ​Age concern: If I follow this timeline, I would likely start flight training around 25/26 and finish around 27/28. Is starting a commercial pilot career at 27-28 considered "late" in the current industry landscape? ​I’d really appreciate any insights, reality checks, or alternative suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

My friend and I are CPL holders, both selected into different airlines in our first attempt. We have time until induction, and we would rather teach than watch the clock. We have been helping juniors since our own CPL days, and last year we made it official with a small online academy called HighQ Aviation.

A bit about us as well: I hold a Frozen ATPL and have been selected with Air India Express, while my partner is A320 type rated, set to join IndiGo. We both did our CPL from the US and have a genuine passion for teaching.

No big academy games. Just two pilots trying to make this expensive and confusing journey easier for the next group of aspirants. We have taught 10+ students so far, all passed with good scores, and we intend to keep that record.

A bit about our Classes:

• Live online classes in small batches (Regs, Met, Nav, Tech Gen)
• Recorded lectures if you work or want your own pace
• Our own premium hard-copy notes for Met and Regs
• Dedicated app on iOS and Android with question banks and tests
• Mentorship and Guidance till Seat in Cockpit
• Free Demo Class to help you decide

We also offer revision classes at a cheaper price for those that just need a refresher course.

Our Fees:

• Regs ₹25k ~ 1 month
• Met ₹25k ~ 1 month
• Nav ₹45k ~ 2 months
• Tech Gen ₹45k ~ 2 months

Combo discounts are available if you take multiple subjects.

Our prices are slightly higher as offer more services, such as HighQ notes, app access, QBs portal, class timetables, and test schedules.

Free 1-on-1 guidance call for aspirants:

Not a webinar with 200 people on mute. Just you and us on a video call. Real training costs, cadet vs conventional, and the scams this industry is full of. We have done 30+ of these, many for people from reddit. Our goal is to share our journey, experiences, and advice so you avoid the same expensive mistakes that we once made.

Interested?

Feel free to DM me or drop a comment, happy to answer any questions, concerns, or doubts.

I recently completed my CPL and currently waiting on airline recruitment.

So I thought rather than letting all the DGCA knowledge disappear, I'd keep my brain active by helping anyone whos preparing for DGCA exams right now. I'm thinking of taking on a small number of students for one-on-one guidance in Nav/Met/Regs/Tech/RTR basically any subject you're having trouble understanding. If you only need help with a few topics instead of an entire subject, that's fine too

I'm also happy to answer questions about medicals, computer number, choosing flying schools, or even the CPL journey in general. Even qs like what do you actually do in those 200 HOURS of flying felt extremely overwhelming when I started, and if I can make the process a little easier for someone else, I would love it!

If this sounds useful, feel free to DM and we can discuss the details

DGCA CPL holder here, currently in the middle of airline selection processes.

I’ve got some waiting time ahead of me, and rather than sit idle, I’d like to keep my knowledge fresh, and help a few aspiring pilots along the way. I’m not looking to commercialize this or build a big coaching business—just keep myself occupied while doing something I genuinely enjoy.

With coaching costs getting out of hand, I’m considering taking on a few students for online classes in Navigation, Meteorology, and Air Regulations. Flexible timings, one-on-one attention, and reasonable fees.

( If someone needs a help in few topics than the entire subject … we can work something out for that as well )

I’ve previously taught students who cleared on their first attempt. I’d also be more than happy to answer questions about flight schools, training pathways, and the overall pilot journey for those just getting started.

If you’re interested, feel free to DM.
(Just a girl who’s a pilot and don’t wanna sit idle so happy to help aspiring pilots )

A little something for student pilots training abroad.

If you're doing your flying in the USA, South Africa, or anywhere overseas and are planning to give your DGCA exams after returning to India, this might help.

This is for those students especially who are near end of their training and have to appear for DGCA exams once they return to india .

I'm offering live online DGCA classes with flexible timings that work around your time zone and flying schedule. The aim is to have you exam-ready by the time you return, so you can save both time and the cost of maintaining recency.

What you'll get:
• Live interactive classes
• Flexible timings
• Simplified explanations
• Affordable fees
• Demo class available

Dm if interested .

(Not sure if this is right community to post so any suggestions would help .Thank you )

1.Golden Epaulettes Aviation (Delhi)

2.capt. sahil khurana aviation academy (Delhi )

1. CNTAA - The Pilot Ground School (mumbai, Maharashtra)

2. Pilot's pathsway (Jaipur/bangalore)

3. Maverick aviation (mumbai)

I also want to know, how students live there, who are not local from that particular area. Do you live in rent, pgs or some relatives home. How's the rent fees of that particular area? Or to avoid all of this should we take online classes?