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Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: The death of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash has shocked the entire country. In this accident, pilot Sumit Kumar and first officer Shambhavi Pathak also lost their lives on the spot. Both were experienced charter pilots and were flying the Learjet 45.

Shambhavi Pathak was working with VSR Ventures since the year 2022. He studied B.Sc. in Aeronautics and Aviation Science from Mumbai University. After this, he took training from New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy in 2018-19 and obtained commercial pilot license from New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. Sumit Kumar was also an experienced captain.

According to preliminary information, this accident occurred due to dense fog. During landing, the pilot lost control of the plane and the plane crashed in a field near the airport. Sumit Kumar and Shambhavi Pathak were both charter pilots. In such a situation, it is important to know who charter pilots are and what their work is.

What are charter pilots?

Charter pilots fly private jets or small planes rather than large commercial aircraft. These pilots work for a company, businessman or individual client. Sometimes they are there for just one flight, and sometimes they work on contracts for the whole year. They have less number of passengers and often fly to smaller airports.

How to become a charter pilot?

There are many paths to becoming a charter pilot-

Jobs in Charter Company: This is the most common method. Companies such as NetJets and Flexjet operate private jets. To work here, one needs the same flight experience as the big airlines. Often pilots first gain experience by working as flight instructors, pipeline patrol, or at a regional airline.

Hybrid Company Model: Some companies fly the aircraft for a single client and also offer it on charter if needed. Here the pilot gets a chance to fly only one type of aircraft and the client is also fixed.

Becoming a Contract Pilot: This is the option with the most freedom. In this, the pilot is not permanently associated with any one company, but works as per the need. When a regular pilot is on leave or is ill, a contract pilot is called.

What does it take to become a charter pilot?

License and Training: First of all, Commercial Pilot License (CPL) is required. For this, one should have Physics and Maths in 12th. After this, training is taken from the flying school. Along with CPL, instrument rating, multi-engine rating and type rating for specific aircraft are also required.

Flight Time: Charter pilots are also required to have sufficient total flight time and turbine time. Initially, experience is gained by flying in smaller aircraft or as an instructor.

Exclusive flight experience: Many charter pilots specialize in a particular aircraft, which increases their opportunities for employment.

What’s the life of a charter pilot like?

The life of a charter pilot is full of adventure. Different airports, different planes and different types of passengers, sometimes business leaders, sometimes special guests, sometimes family trips. This work is quite different from everyday routine flying and gives a new experience every day.

What is the salary of a charter pilot?

Charter pilots’ earnings depend on their experience, company, and type of aircraft. Initially the salary can range from Rs 50 thousand to Rs 1 lakh per month. As experience increases, it can be Rs 2 to 5 lakh or even more. The packages at larger operators like NetJets are even better. Whereas contract pilots often take payment on a per day basis.