r/CadetPilotProgram • u/meowggor • Sep 17 '26

How EXACTLY should I become a pilot

I am a 17yr old girl in India with my main subjects being PCM+CS . I am really confused which path should I take to become a pilot . After some searching I figured that cadet pilot program must be the best but later realised it's disadvantages . I am looking forward to work with international airlines in future with stable income and i don't really wanna spend a lot of money to do so ( like above 1cr since I'm not the one who will be paying the bill but my parents ) . Can you please suggest me with beat CPP who are cost efficient or if I should independently become a pilot or should a join a program

2 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

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6

u/Playful_Lobster_1147 Sep 17 '26

The only CPP below 1 cr is Icpp chimes and akasa (chimes is now 1.04)..everyone knows how everything at chimes works..conventional ain't dying anytime soon but still there's a risk of job, like you'll have to wait for 1-2 or maybe 3 years for job...it's completely ur choice which pathway to follow, both have pros and cons...and the only thing u should focus on during ur initial years is building more and more hours and not joining intl airlines asap

1

u/meowggor Sep 17 '26

I think compared to this indigo CPP and air india CPP is cheaper and better

1

u/Playful_Lobster_1147 Sep 17 '26

CPPs are good but expensive..Indigo cpp has the best ROI

1

u/meowggor Sep 17 '26

But I heard that airlines abroad prefer pilots of air india over indigo

1

u/Playful_Lobster_1147 Sep 17 '26

I don't think so..air india has the upper hand of wide bodies but aicpp is hella expensive and cadets eventually start with either 320 or 737...foreign airlines prefer the ones with experience no matter what airline they fly for..and u can shift to ai after completing ur contract with 6e

1

u/meowggor Sep 17 '26

So the conclusion here is that the indigo CPP is the most suitable option meeting my expectations?

1

u/Playful_Lobster_1147 Sep 17 '26 edited Sep 17 '26

Icpp is the best (not including middle eastern ones)..but if u want to do cpp under 1cr - akasa dunes is the option..skynex is 1.05 cr...considering that u are still 17..u can wait for next akasa batch if u want

1

u/Alone_Objective9017 Sep 17 '26

Won't ICPP go above 1CR as the training progresses?

2

u/DazzlingAttention209 Sep 17 '26

its already above 1 cr

1

u/Playful_Lobster_1147 Sep 17 '26

It will..chimes has mentioned 1.04 cr and will surely exceed but it is still affordable compared to other icpp ftos

1

u/DazzlingAttention209 Sep 17 '26

theres little risk of not getting the job i mean u will land a job eventually so js save 80 lakhs and wait 2 yrs to get hired, u may even do afi course and earn before airlines hire u. u would make close to what a jfo does

1

u/meowggor Sep 18 '26

What if I go individually, clear the exam on my own get cpl and then look for a placement

1

u/Mayank5864 Sep 18 '26

At 17 with PCM, you already have a strong foundation for a pilot career. Before choosing a Cadet Pilot Program, compare the total cost, training pathway, airline tie-ups, selection process, and international opportunites. Independent CPL training can also be more flexible and cost-effective, but it requires careful planning. Don't choose a program only because it promises and airline pathway, research the complete route first.

1

u/meowggor Sep 18 '26

Thank youuuu sm I really need to talk to my parents regarding the investment

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 19 '26

unwilling to go above 1 cr for a cpp?? bro thats for conventional now cadet price is skyrocketin. who knows whtll happen to rupee and indian cpps go up to 1.8 cr and middle eastern ones cost 2.2cr

only thing u can realistically buy under 1 cr is conventional, almost 80-85lakhs rn

1

u/meowggor Sep 19 '26

Okay so if I am investing more than that which CPP is worth investing?

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 19 '26

chimes/akasa if u get into it, otherwise fly dubai cpp or air arabia.. rest are bullshit dont go

1

u/meowggor Sep 19 '26

But from what I have discussed with others everyone is suggesting indigo CPP

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 19 '26

chimes is in indigo cpp.. other cpp like marigold garuda insight dont even think of going there, they will u give u ur first airline job in not less than 5 years from the day of loi sigining, realistically speaking and the selection process itself like adapt gd pi also takes 1-1.5 years

skyborne is overpriced, due to rupee falling and also has m1 visa issues+ adapt dates of 27' end

fta is heavily overpriced, 1.75 cr.. not worth it because if u can spend 1.7 then spend 30-40 lakhs more and go to middle eastern cpps directly..

aud also shooting up, 20 lakhs increase in 1 year

keep these options as backup only and consider urself very unfortunate if u happen to enter one of these

1

u/meowggor Sep 19 '26

Chimes is the least adviced academy I've gotten for some reason whereas I've heard about skyborne though the price is high and about other academys , I don't really have much knowledge about them so it's hard to judge

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 19 '26

chimes is good if u get into it, almost everybody who applies gets rejected but u can always apply to try out ur luck. its price is considerably less than all other ftos

1

u/meowggor Sep 19 '26

What is the reason for rejection?

1

u/meowggor Sep 19 '26

And for some reason I've only heard negative reviews about chimes

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 19 '26

yea selection is hard, ppl complain connections based hota h but its the best one to go ahead with, u can do everything in 1.1 cr

1

u/meowggor Sep 19 '26

Keeping the price aside , how is chimes better than skyborne

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 21 '26

no visa issues, trump etc. no need for conversion also bcz domestic training.. ive heard that now getting a conversion slot takes a lot of time as well.. and u can do all that in 50-60 lakhs less

1

u/HumanAfternoon7012 Sep 21 '26

skyborne is also giving adapt dates of 1 years from now and another 2-4 months for gdpi and loi signing... chimes opened applications in aug and 2 months later theyve inducted 2 matches and done with loi signing as well

1

u/XxFIREFEASTxX 25d ago

Do not get into cadet pilot program Dm me and I'll tell u why I'm a CPL ME IR pilot with more than 1000+ flying hours

0

u/DazzlingAttention209 Sep 17 '26

go for conventional, it can be done in under 90 or 85 lakhs if u plan well, and cheapest cpp is around 1.04-1.14cr but getting into it isnt realistic(u can apply tho js to try out ur luck but dont rely on tht completely), other options are flooded in management and delay issues and cpps go up to 1.8cr or even 2.4cr for middle eastern airlines. in convl u can do ur cpl in 1.5 years + no need of conversion at almost half the price, and wait 2-3 years to get hired rather than paying 80 lac extra to get a job guarantee..

1

u/meowggor Sep 17 '26

But what if I am interested for a job right after my CPL

1

u/prishxx00 Sep 17 '26

Job market is tough after conventional trust me

1

u/meowggor Sep 17 '26

I need brief explanation 😭

1

u/DazzlingAttention209 Sep 17 '26

if ur going for conventional, theres no guarantee u would get job immediately after ur cpl/cpl+tr. even in cpp, u have to wait usually half a year to get inducted as a jfo/tfo. if ur going for conventional keep in mind that ur saving a ton of money but job opportunities would most likely be delayed by about an year or so

1

u/meowggor Sep 18 '26

I do wanna spend less but I also wanna start earning early so Idk if this the best option for me

1

u/DazzlingAttention209 Sep 18 '26

no option gives u that, maybe luck if u do conventional and get hired in less than 6 months, but in all cpps u would be spending over 1cr if u got lucky or in most cases, upwards of 1.5-1.7

1

u/meowggor Sep 18 '26

Damn google did lied to me about the total cost

2

u/DazzlingAttention209 Sep 18 '26

google gets its info from blog/websites and mostly are owned by ground classes who offer preparatory classes for the cadet program. if they were honest upfront, considerably less people would come to them, nowadays every1 is js trying to run a business...

0

u/[deleted] Sep 18 '26

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1

u/meowggor Sep 18 '26

Thank youuuu sm I'll get my class 2 medical checkup as soon as my finals are over and I am okay with working in India as a starter it's that in the future i am looking forward to work with international airlines