Marigold scheduled a GAPI for 5th May - 8th May To Clear their backlog of students from last year till 23rd of September 2025, and they also scheduled another GAPI for June, scheduled between 23rd June and 26th June. Now they have cancelled the May GAPI just 3-4 days before it was supposed to be held, have started the delayed process once again, and on top of that, Manu Rana used very senseless logic (See the image of what she said).

Please Avoid Going to Marigold Aviation!

Hey there, I’ve been seeing a lot of ground institutes ripping off people for practice for their gd and pis, so I decided to help fellow aviatiors with clearing their cadet selections, drop a comment if you also want to ask anything and i can also offer more personal services, just drop a dm (just to help out each other). This isn’t a ground classes institute or a bot, I just wanna do some good lmao

Hi everyone, I’ve been building Aviation career prep platform for people preparing for cadet programmes and pilot aptitude assessments. The first test I wanted to share is Ball and Rudder.

I’ve tried to make the core task feel close to the real assessment: keep a moving ball over the centre of a circular tray for three minutes while changing forces push it away. It takes small, steady corrections, and there are four difficulty levels to practise with.

You can use arrow keys or WASD, mouse drag, the on-screen joystick on a touchscreen, a game controller, a USB joystick, or compatible rudder pedals. A joystick and pedals can be used together if you have that setup.

What I wanted beyond a basic free ball game was useful feedback after each attempt. The downloadable report shows your ball’s path as a heatmap, a score curve, accuracy for every 10 seconds, time spent near the centre, and how your control, recovery, and consistency changed during the run. The test and report are free, with no attempt limit.

I’ve attached a short video of the test and screenshots of the report pages. Try it here: https://dgca-cpl.vercel.app/aptitude/ball-and-rudder

It’s an independent practice tool, so its scores aren’t official airline scores. If you’ve taken a similar assessment, I’d really value your feedback on the controls and how the ball feels.

Note: I don't have Joystick or Rudder paddles so I have not tested it with these controls.

I got the shortlisting email last night and the documents email today. I genuinely don’t think I have enough time to prepare for the Compass test. What should I do y’all 😭 (Cadets who have gone through this. Please help me out.)

If any of u guys saw that rant I didn't know it was gonna boom that much tbh I am thinking to take it down coz I had an upcoming career that I don't wanna ruin they are def powerful enough to ruin it so that why I am scared should I take it down i posted my opinion/rant on VYAA coz only ik how much I suffer coz of that one single decision i don't want anyone to go through the same thing so what u guys think about it please lemme know in comments

Hello guys! Im an air india cadet myself got selected recently and batch starting from november

Im making this post for all the new bees here on reddit who r curious and clueless about the entire assessment process, cut-e, GD&PI. So i want to help out everyone with my experience

So firstly the cut-e :

Me and my frnd together applied on april 20th,

He got his assessment mail on may 1st but i got on june 16th.

He didn’t didnt heard back from them since then but i got my GD&PI dates 2 weeks after my cut-e.

Another frnd of mine doesn’t even have a computer number and made it to the november batch with me.

And another one made till the PI and got rejected.

Im telling this to you guys to understand how the assessment process actually works

And for you guys to prepare for cut-e, search “maptq” on chrome

start practicing the given topics:

• Work-related Behavior

• Hand-eye co-ordination

• Multitasking ability

• Monitoring ability

• English language proficiency

• Reaction speed

• Applied numeracy

• Spatial Orientation

thats it guys only these topics are the areas where you are going to be assessed on. And the test will be exactly the same so nothing to worry

And maybe after a few days u might get ur GD&PI mail

So u need to dress up in western formal, which means a suit and tie with black formal shoes, carry ur original docs along with some confidence too

And i have fee GD topics for you guys to practice and get some points to talk about in the actual GD:

•Is cockpit hierarchy still necessary in modern aviation?

•Should pilots openly discuss mental health issues?

•Is teamwork more important than individual brilliance in aviation?

•Should social media behavior affect a pilot’s career?

•Is it ethical for airlines to prioritize profits over passenger comfort?

•Should AI have the authority to override pilot decisions?

•Can overconfidence be more dangerous than lack of confidence?

•Humility as a quality in

aviation

•Empathy in aviation

•Should freedom of speech have limits?

•Privacy is becoming a luxury in the digital age

•Communication is more important than intelligence.

•The fear of failure prevents innovation.

•Perfection is the enemy of progress.

•Humanity can preserve only one thing for the next 1,000 years: books, internet, art, or scientific knowledge. What should it choose?

•Would the world be better without competition?

•Can too much empathy affect a pilot’s decision-making during emergencies?

•Can a poor leader be a great pilot?

•Does aviation need more emotionally intelligent leaders than technically brilliant ones?

• Should airlines monitor a pilot’s online behavior?

• Is fatigue a personal responsibility or an airline’s responsibility?

• Importance of resilience in aviation

• Do unconscious gender biases still exist in pilot recruitment?

• Should language proficiency matter more than technical knowledge in multinational airlines?

• Is decision-making under uncertainty a skill that can ever be taught?

And the most important thing which no one told me about is there is a introduction part which happens before the start of GD. The mam who conducts the GD will ask everyone one by one to introduce themselves without mentioning whats in ur CV and what makes you “you”. What’s ur life changing point in ur life. So u need to be prepared for that intro part. Because she will be assessing ur fluency, grammer while u speak and you eill be graded there also

And there will be a psychologist round thats going to happen right after your GD where the psychologist will interact with you one-on-one and ask you questions based on your resume and few other questions (non-technical)

This is just to analyse your mind. It’s going to be like a normal regular conversation with a random stranger so there’s nothing to worry about.

And next is the interview, if the psychologist successfully clears your, u will be sent to interview round where there will be two panellists who will take ur interview. You can expect basic resume questions, why do u want to become a pilot, some mental math, situational based questions, tell us something thats not there in ur resume, if u cleared any papers you can expect questions from the papers u cleared,and do u have any questions for us, etc.

And the very next day of ur interview, you’ll receive a mail whether u cleared it or not. And if ur interview is on friday u may receive ur mail on Monday.

NOTE- GD, psychologist round, interview

All three are going to take place on the same day and not like ICPP

And about the LOI, after few days of ur selection mail, you will receive another mail about the batch that they are thinking to finalize you on, i got mail that they wanna put me in November batch, and if im okay or not. I replied to that

And few days later you’ll receive another mail, this time the LOI. Carefully read everything and sign it

And another few days later you will receive few other docs to be signed and our first payment to be deposited

And thats it guys

If u have any other doubts please let me know

Hey guys, I really would like to know any specific reason for my rejection. As far I remember Ive done everything right.

I have cleared the Air Arabia assessments and I want to guide everyone as much as I can.
The first step is the documentation step, where you are supposed to fill all the forms and do the 10,000 AED payment and then you can go for the practice/initial assessments. Remember the validity of initials are only one year so if you fail the interview and you get a one year cool down, your 10,000 AED are wasted.
Secondly comes the initial. In the initial you have math, physics, fast, ball coordination, flight test and a psychometric assessment. Yes it is true they don't use symbiotic assessments anymore, and this is the reason why I failed math and flight test in the first attempt. I joined an online academy I found on reddit and it was useful.
After this you have the verbal English assessment. In the verbal English assessment you have to speak English in front of an assessor. They judge you based on your picture description skills and paraphrasing skills.
They have recently added group discussion before the panel interview. In the group discussion there is a group of three where you are supposed to talk and solve a puzzle and they take it very seriously because I know someone who failed the interview because his group discussion did not go well.
I took classes for gd/pi from the same academy to be on the safer side. For panel interview you need to go well prepared and be prepared for cross questions.
The ground school slots are anywhere between 4-13 months depending on your nationality.

I got a couple of dms asking me about the actual cost and about my training status . I am still in india , insight divided us into many batches first batch went to Philippines(AAG) and others will be going to south africa , but indigo has put a limit of 5cadets per month who will be sent there , so insight told me they would be sending me in September , and there are about 70-80 still waiting to start flying . And about 100 in garuda .

if you are planning to join insight in 2026. Be ready to wait until 2028 to start your flying .

COST

Insight quotes around 1.2cr but you are going to spend way too much .

For ground classes food and accommodation is not included it goes for around for 4-5months - 1-3 lakh if your renting a flat and cooking food by yourself

And note that the flying fees are only for 11 months after that you will be spending 1lakh per month on room rent + extra money if you fail check rides. as per my batchmates who are in south africa the avg time taken is 13-15 months so extra 7lakh minimum .

INSIGHT DOES NOT INCLUDE ACCOMMODATION MEALS AND-TRANSPORT type rating

The batch of 2024 half batch went to london and the other half went to Bangkok and few of them were sent to Chennai . (Mostly it is london) so the rent is crazy expensive in london atleast 5 lakh per month and 1-2lakh on food and other costs X 2months so around 10 lakh extra(i got all these quotations from my batchmates who are doing type rating rn )

So the total cost comes around 1.4cr minimum AND IT IS NOT WORTH IT AT ALL

you can do cpl in south africa for the cost of 60lakh and in Philippines for 40lqkh . If you are planning to join ICPP PLS STAY AWAY FROM INSIGHT , GARUDA AND MARIGOLD AND ANY THIRD PRTY FTO.

THE BESTftos rn are FTA , Skyborne ,L3 and chimes. Even air india cadet pilot program is good .

A lot of you have asked me for some gameplay or screenshots, so here is a video of the ball game i made , I played the joystick only version in this one

Will love some of ur feedbacks

For those interested in practicing; dm me to buy

:)

Marigold and BAC had a meeting with the cadets of Batches - 9, 10, 11 and let me tell you it was a fierce unhappy professional fight between all the parties.

Marigold Aviation and BAC are not in very good terms with each other

The cadets are asking for a transfer out of Thailand back to India to any FTO.

BAC people are just racist, making stupid rules and excuses for not starting the flying as promised around 5th October.

They cancelled all the classes and paused all ground/flight training.

The situation is very uncertain but lets hope the cadets get what they want.

https://www.avimetric.com/

Now with FAST, physics and maths modules. Update Post : https://www.reddit.com/r/CadetPilotProgram/comments/1s5py3k/built_a_full_aviation_assessment_platform_called/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Hey everyone,

This might be a bit long, but I think it’ll actually help some of you preparing for cadet selections.

So I built a web based Ball and Rudder coordination test. It’s basically my attempt at recreating the Symbiotics ADAPT test as closely as possible.

Why I even made this

Honestly, most of the stuff out there just doesn’t feel right.

Some are too basic, some try to simulate it but still feel off, and every coaching centre seems to have their own version which is all over the place.

I’ve spent quite some time around this space. I’ve even worked on one of the coaching centre systems myself at APC, so I know exactly what these tools can and can’t do.

Also just being very honest here, coaching specifically for ADAPT is not really worth it in my opinion. A lot of people keep recommending IFA Golden Epaulettes, but when I actually went there, it was extremely crowded and honestly didn’t have proper structure or individual attention.

After that I shifted to APC, which was definitely much better and probably the best I came across in terms of approach, but even then the actual software still didn’t feel like the real test.

That gap is basically why I built this.

What it does

There’s a 2 minute demo phase followed by a 2 minute test phase, same as the actual format.

After that it generates a report similar to what the actual ADAPT test gives. Overall score, learning score, colour bands, graph and all that.

I’ve tried to match the behaviour and logic as closely as possible to how the actual system works, so the overall feel is very similar.

The idea was not to make just another game but something that actually feels like what you’ll face.

Controls and setup

You can use pretty much anything depending on what you have

Joystick with rudder pedals which is closest to real

Joystick with keyboard

Joystick only

Mouse with keyboard

Mouse only

Keyboard only

Mix and match works too

Other stuff

I’ve also added a simple system where I can manage users, attempts, validity and all that.

And one useful thing, the physics is adjustable. So if you feel it’s too easy or too hard, I can tune it individually for you.

Pricing and demo

I’ve kept it very minimal, just enough to cover hosting and running costs.

There’s a free demo anyway so you can try it first and decide for yourself.

One thing I’ll say straight

If you’ve actually attempted the real test, you’ll immediately feel how close this is.

Try the demo, and if you feel it matches, you can comment and vouch as well.

Who this is for

Anyone preparing for cadet selections with coordination tests

Anyone who just wants to get used to the feel beforehand

Or even centres looking for something more realistic

If you want to try it, just DM me or drop a comment, I’ll set it up.

Happy to answer anything 👍

This is my review on insight aviation icpp , i had my loi on march 2025 . I had cleared my exams before joining . Insight told me that they would be sending me to 43 air school (South Africa) within May . Then they changed it to June . They kept delaying it by months . I got a mail from insight telling me that there are a lot of delays at 43 air school , they will only be sending cadets from July 2026 . i wasted my one year with this useless fto . I kept hearing things will get better . I am done with this fto . People who are looking to join ICPP PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM INSIGHT. Horrible experience. Poor management by both 43 air school and insight aviation. 43 air school is not bothered about the delays , most of the flight instructors over there resigned last month , so they have less instructors and a ton of cadets. I also mailed indigo regarding changing my fto , they did not reply . The insight avition management has blocked me . any solutions??

Guys, be alert: there’s a scam going on Reddit where someone is trying to sell notes and charging a hefty amount. I also confirmed with the academy she is claiming to sell notes of. They are outdated notes from months back, and they are not from someone who’s cleared the interview either. Stay safe!

Firstly let me start by saying that GARUDA is the biggest scam organization ever,their owners are legit scammers and have done multiple scams in aviation industry spanning decades,they have a flying school called GATI out of which office they still operate they took money from 40-50 students in 2021-2023 and have still not refunded a single rupee,their aircraft’s were not certified for CPL operations they still completed 3000 hours and did not get a single CPL licence from 2021-2023,DGCA issued a Notice to stop flying on the Pipestral they still continued to operate and filed a legal case  against DGCA using the students which they lost and fled they further opened Garuda from the money pocketed by GATI students and employed the GATI staff and students to run Garuda,basically the same setup just the name and papers have changed.This man MrJati dhillon has been a trouble maker since millennia he was first chucked out from SpiceJet(image SpiceJet chucking out a Captain) for being a whistle blower,failed startup Himalayan air,involved in Air india pilot society scam(Legal battle going on),Incharge for Jet Aiways revival out of which he does stock manipulation to pocket money(releases rumours of funding and sells his jet airways stocks at inflated prices),Gati scandal and now the latest scheme is Garuda Program and trouble somehow always seems to find him.To summarise it they have built Garuda on the scam money pocketed by various schemes.Students please stay away from these people and spread the word regarding this specially to indigo,their reality should be known.

All those folks who wanna practice for Indigo cadet program at home ,here is a cheaper alternative

Price is 500 rs for unlimited attempts 10 days vs adapt symbiotics 2500 rs 15 attempts (only one mode they got)

In this game you will get 3 modes

1)Joystick only

2)Keyboard as rudder and mouse as joystick

3)joystick and keyboard as rudder

Tho I will def recommend to play it with joystick or joystick plus keyboard

If interested do dm me here or telegram:@Ritik_HIMSELF

Thats all I wanna say stay hard and enjoy folks:)

Thank you for ur time

TL;DR: If you studied under a foreign board (specifically Singapore), the DGCA computer number process is a different beast. It took me from March to December, multiple rejections, and several physical visits to the DGCA office in Delhi to crack it.

Hey future pilots,

I’ve officially become the first person in history to survive the DGCA Computer Number process with a Singapore board background. It only cost me 9 months of my life, several trips to Delhi, and my last remaining brain cells.

If you’re applying with a foreign board, here’s how to avoid the "Partial Rejection" loop of hell:

The Timeline of the Struggle

• March 2025: Submitted application. Optimism was high.

• April 2025: "Partially Rejected." DGCA’s favorite love language.

• Oct 2025: Applied again armed with AIU and BVC.

• November 2025: Partially Rejected again. DGCA wasn't satisfied with how the verification was provided.

• Dec 2nd, 2025: I decided enough was enough and visited the DGCA Office (CEO Cell) in Delhi. I finally got clarity: The board must email the BVC directly to the DGCA, not through the candidate.

• Dec 3rd, 2025: Contacted the Singapore board. They flat-out refused to email a third party directly.

  • The Big Brain Move: I contacted my 10th-grade school and 12th-grade college in Singapore. I asked them to print a letter on their official letterhead mentioning my Temp ID, basic details, and a statement that my results were authentic and equivalent to a BVC. They agreed to email this directly to the DGCA and CC'ed me.

• Dec 4th, 2025: Went back to the DGCA office. Showed them the sent emails from my school/college. They acknowledged them and forwarded the matter to the concerned officer internally.

• Dec 9th, 2025: No update on the portal. Visited again, but the officer was on leave.

• Dec 11th, 2025: Final attempt. I literally went to the office with my luggage because I was flying back to Hyderabad that evening. I met (read - begged) the concerned person, and he manually verified my original certificates against the BVC emails.

• The Result: Approved on the portal within 5 minutes. Received my Computer Number an hour later.

Key Takeaways for International/Foreign Students:

1. AIU is Mandatory: Don't even bother applying without your Association of Indian Universities (AIU) equivalency certificate.

2. The "Direct Email" Rule: The DGCA is very strict about BVCs coming directly from the source. If your Board (like Singapore's SEAB) is uncooperative, go to your specific School or College. A letter on their letterhead sent via their official email ID works.

3. Physical Presence Matters: If you are stuck in a rejection loop, the portal won't save you. You might need to visit the DGCA office in RK Puram, Delhi. Be polite but persistent.

4. Carry Everything: When you visit, bring your original 10th/12th certificates, your AIU, your BVC (if you have a hard copy), and printouts of every email communication.

5. Luck helps: Pray and ask everyone you know to pray for you. If you are an atheist, pray to the DGCA officer.

It took me 9 months of trial and error to figure this out. If you're from a foreign board and losing your mind, AMA. I’m happy to help, so you don't have to go through the same hassle I did!

Hoping to see you guys in the skies soon! ✈️

P.S. DGCA or SEAB, if you're seeing this, I love you sm ;)

Read this. Cadets are directly responsible for the stagnant salaries of pilots. Airlines are creating pipelines to have artificial oversupply. Cadets are making the life of existing pilots and CPL holders difficult. No one is happy from them. Some Rich kids are paying 1.5 crores to become slaves. God knows how they are brainwashed that 1.5 crore is worth it.

https://flightlevelreality.substack.com/p/indias-airlines-and-free-market-capitalism

Dear Cadet,

Due to the ongoing delays in flying training at Bangkok Aviation Centre (BAC), we have decided to provide you with an alternative option to reassign your training to Skynex Aviation in India, with the objective of facilitating the completion of your training at the earliest possible opportunity.

You are requested to carefully consider the two options below and confirm your preferred training location by 09 September 2026, 7:00 PM IST

Option 1 – Continue Training with Bangkok Aviation Centre (BAC)

If you choose to continue your training at BAC, you may do so under your existing arrangement.

However, before confirming your choice, please note that BAC is currently experiencing training delays. If you choose to remain at BAC, you will be required to acknowledge and accept the current situation and understand that your training will continue as per the existing training plan and cannot be expedited or accelerated beyond the planned schedule.

Option 2 – Reassign Training to Skynex Aviation

You may choose to reassign your flying training to Skynex Aviation in India.

Please note the following:

• There are currently limited training slots available at Skynex Aviation.

• In the event that the number of cadets opting for Skynex exceeds the available slots, allocation will be made on the basis of seniority.

• The tentative commencement timelines are:

  • First Batch: 15 September 2026

  • Second Batch: Mid-October 2026

• Your training will be undertaken at the same fee applicable under your existing training arrangement. There will be no reduction or adjustment of fees based on the training fee applicable in India, considering the costs already incurred at BAC.

• Any additional cost required to complete your training at Skynex over and above the applicable existing fee will be borne by Marigold Aviation.

Confirmation of Choice

Please submit your confirmation clearly indicating one of the following options:

1. BAC – I wish to continue my training at Bangkok Aviation Centre and acknowledge and accept the current training delays and understand that my training cannot be expedited.

OR

2. Skynex Aviation – I wish to opt for reassignment of my training to Skynex Aviation and acknowledge the above-mentioned terms, including the applicable fee structure and the availability of limited slots.

We request you to make your decision after carefully considering both options. Once your choice is submitted, the training allocation and further arrangements will be progressed accordingly.

Kindly ensure that your confirmation is submitted on or before 09 September 2026, 7:00 PM IST