SOCIETY: No, it doesn’t take 20 years to become a pilot. Here’s how to become a pilot

By Hans Ngala

There is something about aviation that thrills and marvels and there is something even bigger and more fulfilling about being the one that controls the aircraft.

We all remember growing up as kids and hearing stories about how flight training for pilots takes up to 20 years before pilots can complete their training. Well that is actually NOT true.

What does it take to become a pilot?

Becoming a pilot is actually easier than you may have thought. Generally, pilots are expected to have good numeracy skills ,hence good mathematics skills are especially useful but not mandatory. Good knowledge of map reading, geography and physics as well as good eyesight and general good health are some of the pre-requisites that most flight schools would require.

The main thing that holds most people back is not the subjects they must study but rather the exorbitant fees involved in training a pilot.

Usually a pilot takes a few months to get a private licence. This licence is usually issued for pilots to fly privately and they cannot carry passengers with them. This licence is usually followed by a commercial licence which is earned after a few more months of training and can allow a pilot to fly for a commercial airline, carrying passengers.

The commercial licence is again followed by an instrument rating especially for helicopter pilots which means they have attained additional specialized training like maybe in firefighting or cutting of trees using helicopters.

At the most, it takes about 6 months to 2 years to have the complete flight training required to become a pilot.

Where can Cameroonians Get Flight Training?

There are many pathways to becoming a pilot. The fastest (but more expensive one) is to go to a flight school. It’s easier to do flight training in South Africa because of proximity for Camerooonians than in Europe or North America. On average, you’ll spend from 30 to 50 million CFA to get each licence you require. That is excluding your flight from Cameroon to whatever country you choose as well as housing, medical insurance etc. Sometimes, flight schools try to reduce costs by doing some of the training in a flight simulator – which don’t get me wrong, are still kind of expensive, but not as much as when you have to fuel an actual aircraft and get in the air.

The second way to do flight training (which is cheaper but harder to do) is to do it in the military. Usually, this opportunity is for those ALREADY serving in the army. They would usually select candidates to train them as pilots and retain them in the air force. This makes it cheaper than having to hire non-military personnel to begin with.

Also, NGOs like the Christian charity, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) sometimes sponsor their staff to train as pilots but then continue serving within the organization. They use light aircraft to do medevacs in remote locations around the world.

Helimission has a similar mandate and uses helicopters in their own operations from a Christian perspective too.

However, flying is sort of like driving – except you do it in the air. You generally need to be good with machinery, have no phobia for heights and just love the thrill of flying. So do you think you have what it takes to become a pilot? Then go for it. Let no one deceive you that it takes 20 years to achieve your dream. It just takes guts, so let the sky be your limit (pun intended).