Training At The Air Force Academy

The Academy also provides training in flying and ground subjects for flight cadets and officers of the Indian Navy and Army as well as the Coast Guard. Officers from friendly foreign countries are also occasionally trained at the Air Force Academy.

The following are the types of training conducted at the academy:

• Flying Training
  
• Air Traffic Control Courses
  
• Non-Technical Ground Duty Branches
  
• Joint Services Training

Flying Training
If you have joined the Flying Branch, training is divided into Stage I, II and III. Each stage gradually takes you from fundamental to more complex levels of aviation. It is during Stage III that pilots are sent for specialisation on Fighter, Helicopter or Transport aircraft.

Before the commencement of Flying Training, you will first be provided technical training on the Kiran Mk-1 or the HPT-32. This involves imparting theoretical understanding and then a practical demonstration on all systems of the aircraft. You will also be required to undertake a program in aviation medicine. Apart from a complete medical examination, you undergo a de-sensitisation program to prevent / overcome airsickness with the help of Yoga. The program also includes practical demonstrations in a high altitude simulator. After completing Stage III of specialisation, you begin operational flying at the squadron / units assigned to you.

Flying training is provided to pilot trainees from National Defence Academy, the National Cadet Corps or directly from universities. Trainees other than NDA cadets are first sent to the Pre-Flying Training School at Begumpet for six months before actually joining the Air Force Academy.

Air Traffic Control Officers' Training

The training at the Air Force Academy for Air Traffic Control is designed on the basis of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) procedures. These have, however been altered to suit the military aviation requirements.

For Radar Training, you will be trained to operate a Virtual Reality Radar Simulator. This Radar Simulator is a state-of-the-art mechanism, capable of simulating the parameters of any radar and can store up to 15 types of aircraft in its memory. It can simulate any number of airbases and generate as many as 32 aircraft targets.

At the Basic Air Traffic Control Course, apart from a theoretical understanding, you will undergo practical training on a conventional aerodrome simulator. This is accompanied by four weeks of On-The-Job-Training at a Flying Unit.

Ground Duty Officers' Training

Ground Duty Officers' Training conducts specialist training for all non-technical branches of the Indian Air Force. If you have joined the Administrative, Logistics, Accounts, Education or Meteorology division, you will be trained at the Air Force Academy before joining the Air Force as Ground Duty Officers.

The curriculum includes drill, games, outdoor projects, presentations / debates, public speaking and cultural activities. As part of the training program, you will also be required to make visits to industrial / research organisations. The course aims at an all-round development with professional knowledge at the core.

Joint Services Training
Cadets of the Flying, Technical and the Ground Duty Branches are imparted Joint Services Training here for six weeks. Thereafter, cadets selected for entry into the Aeronautical Engineering Branches are sent to the Air Force Technical College at Jalahalli, Bangalore. Training includes common service subjects like administration and service knowledge.

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