I want to join the Indian Air Force

If you want to fly high in the sky or dream of being an Air Warrior of the Indian Air Force (IAF), then you need to clear the AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test). It is held twice a year.

After clearing AFCAT, you can opt for flying/technical/ground duty.

Post-graduates can go for the meteorology branch that does not require AFCAT.

Candidates should be graduates in their respective fields with Physics and Maths in 10+2. Visit http://indianairforce.nic.in/ for further details.

There are two entry points to becoming a pilot in the Indian Air Force, through NDA or CDSE, but for both, you must have Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level.

Selection to the National Defence Academy (NDA) is through an entrance test. After selection, candidates go through a rigorous three-year training regimen followed by specialized training at one of the Air Force Training Establishments. On successful completion, they are commissioned as Permanent Commission Officers and posted as pilots at any of the Air Force Stations.

Otherwise, after completing your graduation (B.Sc. or B.E.), you can appear for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE) and join the Air Force Academy. For further details visit careerairforce.nic.in

Here is an Inspiring Snippet of India’s First Female Fighter Pilot –

Avani Chaturvedi created history by becoming India’s first female fighter pilot, proving that a woman from a small town in Madhya Pradesh could not only become a combat pilot but also shatter the gender stereotypes in a male dominated profession.

When women were inducted into the fighter stream of the IAF, it was decided that they would be flying the existing fighter aircraft of the IAF fleet except for the MiG-21 as the latter, despite its versatility and yeomen service to the nation’s defence, has always been considered to be a highly demanding aircraft. The planners were obviously not fully aware of the growing capabilities of Indian women, as when Avani became the first Indian woman to fly solo on an IAF fighter aircraft, it was none other than the MiG-21 Bison aircraft.

“Today, the number of girls wanting to become fighter pilots has increased. This was not so earlier, because no one had ever dreamt of it. Earlier, most of our students opted to work for commercial airlines. Now, our girls look at Avani as their role model.” – DR SEEMA VERMA, DEAN OF THE AVIATION SCHOOL

Excerpts from The Teenager Today Magazine –
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