The answer to these questions depends on many factors, the main being: do you enjoy flying? Are you ready to sacrifice your nine to five office hours for heavy airline scheduling? Are you planning to dedicate your career to the airlines, charter or flight instruction? Most pilots made a lot of sacrifices to achieve their dreams and are very proud of it. However, if you expect that aviation job and flight training will be a "walk in the park," you will be very disappointed. We suggest that you do your own research, speak to the pilots on your next commercial flight, or simply come over to our HQ or flight training center for a friendly chat.

Well, there are few qualities of character that will certainly help you. Such qualities include: good command of English and confidence in communicating in English, a scientifically and technically-inclined mind, ability for prolonged concentration, good hand-eye coordination, good spatial reasoning and orientation, good visualization skills, ability to multi-task, attention to detail, ability to deduce and calculate quickly, ability to make fast but thought-through decisions and strong leadership ability. Some of the above are talents, some skills. Skills can be developed throughout your career and flight training. "Naturals," who already posses the aforementioned qualities, will have a better chance of completing flight training and achieving a successful career in the industry.

Yes. In Indonesia and many other countries in Southeast Asia, the aviation industry is expanding faster than predicted, which has resulted in an intense demand for pilots. Most airlines, such as Lion Air, Merpati, Botavia, Garuda, Wings, etc. are hiring Indonesian pilots as soon as they graduate with a commercial pilot license and instrument endorsement. Many other charter companies are looking for local pilots as well. Currently, the pilot job market in Indonesia is so "dry" that a lot of charter and airline companies hire expat pilots from Australia, US, UK and EU. In addition, in cae you not not want to work for airlines and prefer to work a few years as a flight instructor, if you are good, LIFT or any other flight academy in Indonesia will be happy to hre you as soon as you finish your flight training. So, yes, you will start earning the "big bucks" RIGHT AWAY.

This depends on the company. However, as a very rough guide, regional airlines will pay you between IDR 18,000,000 and IDR 25,000,000 per month as a First Officer. Charter companies will pay you between IDR 25,000,000 and IDR 40,000,000 per month as the PIC. Flag carriers, such as Garuda, offer between IDR 30,000,000 and IDR 50,000,000 for the First Officer position. If you chose to work as a Flight Instructor, you'll be paid anywhere between IDR 25,000,000 and IDR 45,000,000, depending on your experience and amount of hours you fly monthly.

Yes and No. Yes, if you choose to be a Flight Instructor or a local charter pilot. These pilots typically work from 9:00 till 17:00. However, if you choose to work for an airline, you may be required to be stationed in a remote base two or three weeks out of the month. However, once you achieve seniority, you will be given a choice to work closer to your home.

Not likely. Most local airlines offer free type ratings and line training to Indonesian pilots. In exchange, you will be required to sign an employment contract for a certain term. These terms can range from three to five years, depending on how much they spend on your advanced flight training.

It may take between three to six months, depending on the aircraft type you will be offered to fly. A type rating on an aircraft with a MTOW over 5,700kg will take approximately two months. Then you'll need to be an observer (or a "second officer") for two to three months. After that, if you pass your "line check," you will be a fully-fledged First Officer. During your line training, you will be paid a basic salary, approximately IDR 10,000,000 or slightly higher.

Well, if you mean "an airline captain" or a "flight instructor," in Indonesia it will not be long. You will be a "captain" as soon as you get your flight instructor rating and start working with students. To fly as pilot-in-command in a light charter plane, such as Cessna Caravan or DHC-6, it will take you approximately a year or year and a half. To fly as the PIC in a heavier aircraft, such as ATR72 or B737, you are looking at three to four years. Your salary will be adjusted accordingly. An experienced airline captain in Indonesia earns more then IDR 80,000,000 and up per month.

Indonesia is a part of ICAO and therefore, a DGCA license is valid for work all over the world. Of course, most countries will require you to obtain your license validation and may even need you to retake several exams. However, in Southeast Asia in general, there are various reciprocating agreements in place which allow experienced airline pilots and flight instructors to work abroad. If you get a job flying in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and other high-profile hubs, your salary, as a senior first officer or captain, could shoot up to IDR 200,000,000 per month!

Sure. Pilots naturally develop solid leadership skills and are considered to be great management material in any office environment. If you can no longer pass your medical, you will have many prestigious job opportunities waiting for you in various spheres of aviation and aviation-related industries. Refer to this article for more details.

It depends on what career route you are going to take. In general, you will need to smoke less, eat healthier and exercise longer in order to stay fit and maintain your medical as long as possible. If you do well, you shoud be able to fly until your 60th birthday.

In general, you will need to know English on a fairly good level. This is due to the fact that most aviation training is conducted in the international language of aviation—English. All study materials, aircraft flight manuals, instrument procedures, air traffic control procedures and radio exchange is done in English, even inside the Indonesian airspace and even between Indonesian pilots and Indonesian ATC. This is required by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations and is driven by safety considerations. Therefore, if you do not speak English, you will have no chance of making it through your flight training or even obtaining an SPL (Student Pilot License). For this very reason, our website is presented in English only. The other enrollment requirements include: high scores on VTS (pilot aptitude test), successful graduation from high school with a HSD and a DGCA Class-1 medical. A university degree is currently not required, but if you have one it could help further down the line. Please read more about our enrollment requirements here

Currently, we only require high school level knowledge of mathematics and physics. During your flight training, you will be required to perform many calculations based on various formulas related to aerodynamics, weight and balance, time-distance-speed and many others. Also, you will be required to have a sound understanding of all the aerodynamic principles involved in the Principles of Flight Theory. In addition, you will need to understand the physical and chemical factors involved in Meteorology Theory. Finally, knowledge of electromagnetic and general mechanical principles will be key in understanding aircraft systems and Radio Theory. So, if you are currently in school and dreaming of a pilot career, pay special attention to the aforementioned disciplines.

The "Vienna Pilot Aptitude Test", also know as "VTS" (Vienna Test System), is a special psychometric exam designed to evaluate student's abilities relevant to flight training and subsequent employment as a pilot. We want our students to take it because we understand that your investment into an aviation career will be significant and, if you do not posses the basic abilities for learning how to fly an aircraft, your money could be wasted and, during your flight training, your safety could be compromised. So, ultimately, these tests are in place for your own protection.

No problem. We have students from Australia and the USA that are successfully enrolled in private and commercial flight training programs. LIFT is accredited by the DGCA as "part 141" (flight academy) and has the ability to issue student pilot visas to foreign students via the Indonesian Department of Immigration. Therefore, you can enroll at LIFT from abroad and come to Lombok for your flight training. Visa processing may take four to six weeks. Your PPL license will be valid for flying in Indonesia and all other ICAO countries. Your CPL license will also be valid for work in Indonesia but working in other ICAO countries may bare certain restrictions. (Note: if you are not planning to work as a pilot in Indonesia, most ICAO countries may require a DGCA CPL license validation and some may require you to take additional examinations before commencing work as a pilot. The same rules apply to most other commercial licenses issued by most other ICAO counties).

Sure. If you flew in an ICAO-member state and your flight hours are certified by a licensed flight instructor under part 61 (independent flight instructor) or a part 141 (flight academy) curriculum, LIFT will honor your aeronautical experience. However, this accreditation can not exceed 50% of the full curriculum offered at LIFT, as approved by the DGCA.

Sure. Why not? Any age, from 18 to... 50 is OK. Just bear in mind a few things: you need to pass the same tests as our standard students, which include: English, VTS and class-1 medical. We know for a fact that local airlines (i.e. Merpati) hire pilots who just finished their flight training and who are up to 48 years old. Who's to say that you will not be one of them? If you are able to maintain your Class-1 medical until the age of, for example, 55, your airline/charter/flight school employer will be able to get 15 years of service from you. That will be more than enough for them to cover all of their training expenses. In addition, you will make enough money to cover your flight training costs plus continue enjoying a highly respectful career with substantial earning potential for years to come.

Not just yet, sorry. You need to be 18 years of age to qualify for a PPL or CPL license and 23 years of age to qualify for an ATPL license. Therefore, you need to be patient, work hard at school and give us a call when you hit 18.

Well, this depends on you. Some students report minor difficulties, some none at all. Our program is designed for students with good to average abilities. If you test well on VTS and your English proficiency is fair, we believe that you will have no problem getting through your flight training within the allocated time frame. Please remember that the entire course is taught in English. Therefore, your knowledge of English will be directly proportional to the level of your understanding of aeronautical theory and flight instruction. The most challenging part of your flight training will be your IR (Instrument Rating), which will require your utmost concentration, fast decision making, good orientation and spatial reasoning. The CPL phase will require you to demonstrate a high level of aircraft mastery, including good hand-eye coordination and advanced planning skills.

Not that difficult at all. The PPL is mostly a vocational license. Thousands of people of different age groups, educational backgrounds and pilot abilities go through PPL flight training in Indonesia and abroad every year and pass with a high rate of success. We have allocated 58 hours for your PPL training, nearly double the 35 hours required by part 141 certification. Relax—you are pretty safe at this stage.

Very high. LIFT selects only highly regarded professionals with impeccable safety records and solid experience in aviation flight training from ICAO member states with high aviation safety standards. Most of our flight instructors have 121 and 135 work experience with type-ratings on jets or turboprops. This puts them in a unique position to pass their airline and charter work experience knowledge directly to students. All instructors are DGCA-accredited with base licenses from the FAA, the JAA and other ICAO authorities. All have multi-engine and instrument instructor ratings on their licenses (CFI/CFII/MEI).

Many reasons. The main being: high level of English proficiency, many years of experience, deep knowledge of aviation disciplines, high flight hours, etc. We would happily hire some local FIs but, due to the fact that the Indonesian airline industry is in great need of local pilots, most local pilots chose to go directly to the airlines. Regardless of the circumstances we are dedicated to offer you the highest flight training quality your money can buy. Rest assured.

Not any more difficult then with an Indonesian flight instructor, because all aviation subjects have to be presented to students in English anyways. Alternatively, you could have a local flight instructor explaining to you principles of aerodynamics in a broken English instead of a native speaker. What's easier to understand?.. Same goes to the actual flight instruction (in the air). In the cockpit, you will have to speak English to your instructor and the ATC, regardless of what language they speak at home. So, as we mentioned before, English knowledge is a key and you will need to score high on your TOEIC test in order to become a pilot here or anywhere else in the World.

Of course. More and over, you will be provided with multiple pre-study materials downloadable from our Online Aeronautical Library (soft copy), the actual courseware Jeppesen PPL, CPL/IR study manuals (hard copy), multiple study videos to increase and support your theoretical knowledge (you'll be given access to our academic library at the flight center) and, of course, you will sit through theoretical knowledge ground school lectures presented to you by our experienced ground instructors and subject specialists.

Of course. You will be provided with a "Nomex" flight suit made of special imported fire-retardant fabric, a set of pilot uniforms, pilot epaulettes, pilot hat and wings (after you solo), a set of flight planning tools (aviation track plotter, E6B flight computer, pilot log-book) and much more. In addition to standard and optional Liberty XL2 equipment, you will enjoy using cutting edge technology in the cockpit, such as "Lightspeed Zulu" active noise reduction aviation headset, stand-by IFR Garmin GPS unit, stand-by VHF radio. To our best knowledge, LIFT may be the most comprehesive flight gear provider in Indonesia.

Well, considering all the pre-enrollment testing we conduct, it's a very unlikely scenario. However, in such an event, not all is lost. If you require additional training we will simply include a few more flight hours into your curriculum until the desired level of flight proficiency is achieved. This may escalate your flight training costs by 3-7%. But again, this is VERY unlikely.

Yes, this happens from time to time, but VERY rarely. However, in such an event, we will give you a few more hours of flight training and send you for re-take. You will be able to re-take your PPL or CPL check-ride as soon as the next DGCA examiner becomes available. According to DGCA regulations, there is no time-limit or waiting period for re-takes. So, this problem will not affect your final goal in any dramatic way.

In this case, you may feel a little nauseated during the first few airborne hours of your flight training. With time and practice, however, this problem should diminish and finally, disappear completely. In case it takes longer then a few days, you can use various anti-motion sickness medications, which are widely available in Indonesia. Don't worry, your flight instructor will teach you how to deal with motion sickness and overcome feeling of nausea during various flight maneuvers.

No, not at all. Your PPL will be focused on safe take offs, landings, navigation and emergency procedures. However, you will be required to master "steep turns" (that's a turn with 45-degree bank) which may be the only thing that will make you feel a little bit airsick. Your IR (instrument rating) will be focused on instrument flying, which is very precise and not aerobatic at all. You CPL will involve more advanced flying, including some semi-aerobatic maneuvers such as "lazy eights", "chandelles" and "steep spirals". You will also need to masterst all recovery and spin prevention maneuvers. In more advanced stages, you will be required to perform 50-degree bank turns. But, throughout the entire PPL or CPL course, you will not need to exceed 1.6-1.8 Gs. At the beginning, it could make you a little nauseated. However, with time, you will get used to these mild G-forces and motion sickness will disappear permanently.

Well, statistically, this is a very unlikely scenario. But despite that, you will be very well-prepared for it. LIFT equips all its aircraft with all the tools necessary for safe navigation, landing and, in case of an emergency, survival in various environments. Our aircraft feature "cutting edge" navigation instruments to ensure you'll never get lost. The Liberty XL2 aircraft engines run using "FADEC", a system which ensures perfect engine performance and is controlled by a very sophisticated computer. In the unlikely scenario that your engine stops working and you need to land, your aircraft will be equipped with flotation devices for ditching (landing on the water), hand-held VHF radio to communicate with rescue services, ELT (emergency locator-transmitter) to ensure that ATC and SAR stations are automatically alerted of your emergency and landing location. We are also considering a "Spyder" GPS tracking system to be installed in each and every one of our aircraft, to ensure that we are aware of your whereabouts at all times. Additionally, you will undergo a jungle survival course for 3 days, conducted by the local military, to ensure that you have knowledge and skill to survive in the wild. Finally, your flight instructor will teach you how to deal with various emergency scenarios and perform a safe "engine out" landing.

Flying training aircraft is a dangerous activity and that is exactly why we test our students so thoroughly. Let's look at statistics. There are 16 fatal accidents per million hours of general aviation. It is fairly safe to assume that when a plane crashes and someone dies, everyone on board dies. By contrast, the death rate for automobile driving is roughly 1.7 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles. Car crashes don't always kill everyone in the car so let's use this statistic as provided, which is for an individual traveling in a car rather than for the entire car. So considering that the average airplane accomplishes a groundspeed of at least 100 miles per hour, those million hours of flight push the occupants of the plane over more than 100 million miles of terrain. Comparing 16 fatal accidents to the 1.7 rate for driving, we find that flying is no more than 10 times as dangerous per mile of travel. And since most accidents happen on takeoff or landing, a modern fast light airplane traveling a longish distance might be comparable in safety to a car. (More info here)

Yes, you can. And we've got good news for you: recent research has proven that playing action computer games increases hand-eye coordination and improves pilot dexterity. In addition, playing Microsoft Flight Simulator will give you a good insight into what flying is like from a pilot's perspective and provide a valuable tool for understanding cockpit instruments and navigation planning. We recommend that you spend as much time as possible using these tools before and during your flight training. Sounds good, right?..

There is a huge deal of advantages to you, as a student, for use of new avionics (aviation electronics) in a cockpit. First of all, our Liberty Aircraft are equipped with "Aspen Avionics" semi-integrated instrument system wich is very similar to EFIS (electronic flight instrument system) used in large aircraft, such as ATR72, Fokker 50 and even B737. When you get used to this integrated digital display, your transition period to a large aircraft flight instrument system will be very short. A lot of other aircraft use only a "6-pack" analog instruments in a cockpit. Students who learn to fly on these instruments will have hard time transitioning to instrument systems used in jets and turboprops, because such instruments are completely different in appearance and behavior. Another advantage is the use of new navigation systems, which will give you a great advantage in situational awareness, cross-country planning and safe aircraft operation within the designated training areas.

Of course. The times are changing and, currently, most advanced flight academies around the World tend to use only modern aircraft in order to introduce their students into the present world of aviation from the early stages of flight training. In addition, new aircraft are more reliable, incorporate advanced avionics and engine management systems, are better designed and engineered. Liberty XL2, wich are used in LIFT, have advanced lightning strike protection, full IFR equipment, increased fuselage strength and low fuel consumption due to highly aerodynamic fuselage design and FADEC engine management system. Finally, Liberty XL2 is ergonomically designed to provide great visibility and comfort.

LIFT utilizes the latest in hearing protection for our students featuring Active Noise Reduction "Lightspeed Zulu" aviation headsets. This headset costs over IDR 8,500,000 each and offers superb engine noise attenuation combined with high fidelity sound quality. It is one of the best and highly regarded "top-end" aviation headsets on the US and European market. We care about your hearing just as much as you do. And at LIFT, safety comes first!

Currently, our company owns three brand-new Liberty XL2 aircraft, "Vinguard" edition. We also purchased a full motion "Red Bird" X-Wind flight simulator for advanced IFR, G-1000 and multi-engine training. This simulator is scheduled for delivery and installation in our Lombok flight center in November 2011. In addition, we are planning to purchase 2 more Liberty XL2 aircraft with dual Aspen Avionics panels. Delivery date for these planes is TBA.

In our opinion, Liberty XL2, is the most advanced 2-seater training aircraft in the World. In its design, it incorporates a lot of features that other aircraft do not. Such features include: composite material body construction, superb fuel economy, ergonomic cockpit design, full authority digital engine management, integrated avionics system couples with analog stand-by instruments, full IFR certification, storm and lightning strike protection, rod (not cable) control surface connectors, stick controls and great performance figures. We strongly believe that Liberty XL is the future in the aviation training industry and we very much want to be an integral part of this future. Don't you?..

"Aspen Avionics" is a digital integrated avionics unit which looks and feels like the EFIS units found in most modern turboprops and jets. It displays all the important information that your usual "6-pack" instruments do plus, coupled with G430 unit, it gives a pilot the position and nav-aid information, where an analog heading indicator is integrated with the navigation mapping in digital format. This unit performs many other calculation for a pilot, such as: TAS, GS wind velocity and angle and so on.

Garmin 430 full color aviation GPS unit, integrated with the Aspen Avionics panel; Full Authority Digital Engine Management system (FADEC) which is designed to control the automated fuel consumption, the fuel mixture, the engine health and other very important parameters, which could go easily overlooked in the training aircraft lacking this system; digital Garmin transponder unit; integrated audio panel featuring double radio units; stand-by full color Garmin GPS unit, in case the primary navigation unit fails; stand-by waterproof "iCom" aviation frequency transceiver; Lightspeed Zulu digital noise reduction headsets to fully protect the hearing of our students and instructors. We also use a special video recording devise to capure all flight data, including aircraft GPS track, view of the pilot, view of the instruments and the external front view. Such videos are used after every flight for de-briefings and as study aids during our ground school.

Since the main goal of LIFT is to prepare professional pilots for immediate employment with the airlines and charter companies as the second and first officers, flying medium to heavy jets or turboprops, we are confident that the modern equipment we train them on is much more RELEVANT to the task then the traditional "6-pack" coupled with and "a lot of paperwork system". Most of our students will not fly C172s on the weekends for leisure as PPL holders. However, we can assure you, that using advanced trainers like the XL2 does NOT, for one moment, mean that we make ANY shortcuts in our training procedures. Quite the opposite, in fact. Our modern equipment allows us to ensure that the students will learn all the basic & advanced aspects of flight training, such as developing solid & professional flying skills, advanced analog (paper chart & plotter) navigation skills, extensive VFR & IFR navigation from the most basic to the most advanced navigation methods available, proficient flying in the instrument meteorological conditions, all the navigation and approach procedures, and so on. And precisely BECAUSE we use the FADEC-controlled Liberty XL2s, our students are able to grasp the basics of all these skills, without being encumbered by the complexity of obsolete and far outdated aviation equipment. However, just like any transition from a simple aircraft (fixed gear, pitch prop, etc) to a high-performance & complex aircraft (high horsepower, retractable gear, variable pitch prop, etc), the transition is MUCH EASIR for the student AFTER they have mastered the basic skills of flying the aircraft, navigation, radio procedures, etc. And our new fleet keep the enthusiasm level of the students high at all times, a key factor in the successful graduation from any flight training curriculum.

Absolutely NOT. Our website marketing carries no intent to offend anyone, neither is it designed to discredit our competitors. But we do have a problem with the old AND neglected airplanes. So should You. In our opinion, only those operators who neglect their C172s or any other old training or passenger aircraft, for that matter, (and unfortunately some do), could feel offended by our critical references to the under-maintained and beaten-up equipment. We want to see Indonesia moving ahead into a new age of flight training and aviation technology, and we would be delighted to see a steady departure from the outdated 20 & 30-year old training aircraft, and on to the modern trainers. Cessna 172 is a great classic trainer certified under regulations in 1958 and XL2 is certified under FAR 23 which imposed additional requirements. Most licensed commercial pilots, including all of us at LIFT, have, at one point or another, benefited from flying C172. We should all thank Cessna for creating such a wonderful machine. We all love it like we love our Grandmothers. But do we want to spend our entire lives with them?..

Although the XL2 has the ability to have an autopilot fitted, we have chosen NOT to do this in our aircraft. It's a known fact that students regularly use the autopilot (when installed) to 'cheat' on cross-country flights or when flying IFR/approach procedures. Our XL2s are 100% "hands-on" aircraft, and with it's unique push-rod-connected flying controls (not cables, unlike older design aircraft), a pilot feels an immediate response from the aircraft just as he would in a high-performance machine requiring very little control, even at very slow flight.

At the moment, we employ a permanent team of highly qualified, DGCA certified aircraft technicians. For the purpose of our operation, LIFT technicians were trained by approved Liberty Aerospace engineers who, in turn, certified our aircraft mechanics to undertake all types of maintenance work on Liberty XL2 airplanes. In additiona, for added safety and increased 3rd party quality control, we have a contract with the Liberty XL2 specialist maintenance company from Melbourne (Australia) to undetake the annual aircraft inspections.

Absolutely. To ensure a continuity of operation, in case one of our scheduled aircraft is grounded to any reason, we have at least one stand-by aircraft to take its place. This way, our student's schedule will not be affected due to technical issues.

In general, you should be fit, have good eyesight and hearing, and have no current or previous illness which might interfere with the safe exercise of a commercial or airline transport pilot's license.

Yes, there are. Here is the list for most of the medical conditions that may disqualify you from obtaining DGCA class-1 medical. They are: Angina pectoris; Bipolar disorder; Cardiac valve replacement; Coronary heart disease that has required treatment or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant; Diabetes mellitus requiring insulin or other hypoglycemic medication; Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause; Epilepsy; Heart replacement; Myocardial infarction; Permanent cardiac pacemaker; Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts; Psychosis; Substance abuse and dependence; Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory medical explanation of cause.

You will need to visit DGCA medical center in Jakarta. Medical starts at 07:00am and takes approximately 5 hours. You will need to give your blood and urine for analysis. Then you will be X-rayed, your hearing will be checked, your eyes and vision will be checked, you will have to undergo ECG heart testing (electro-cardiogram), your teeth will be checked by a dentist and your general health condition will be evaluated by a doctor. At the end of all this testing, a medical board will decide if you are fit to fly or not.

Despite a popular believe, your vision doesn't have to be perfect. You can wear glasses to correct your vision and stigmatism. However, with glasses, your vision must be 20/20 (perfect) in both eyes. Also, you have to be able to differentiate colors (not be colorblind) and have a good depth perception. This will be tested during your first medical examination.

Unfortunately, inability to differentiate colors is one of the disqualifying conditions.

Your blood pressure must be within "normal" limits, plus/minus 10 bars. Maximum allowable limit is 155/95. However, only DGCA medical board will be able to make a final decision regrading your fitness to pilot an aircraft.

DGCA medical board wants to ensure that the condition of your teeth and possible pain resulting from this condition does not distract you from the pilot duties during your crew duties, thus compromising flight safety. Therefore, it's important that you do not have any open cavities, which cause pain.

We recommend that you do not eat 12 hours before your medical. You also need to cut down on fatty and cholesterol rich food by substituting fatty red meats (such as beef, lamb, goat or pork) with lean proteins (such as fish, but not shellfish). Do not smoke, since this may cause cholesterol build-up in your cardiovascular system. If you do have problem with high cholesterol, take appropriate medicationstake appropriate medications, as recommended by your doctor. Do not drink alcohol at least 3 days before your medical. Do not eat salty foods 2 weeks before the medical, since this may increase your blood pressure. Do a lot of cardio workouts, such as: running, cycling, dancing and power-walking (we recommend that you run a distance of 3-5km every day). If you wear glasses, make sure you get a recent prescription checked or renewed. Consult your doctor before you take any medications.

Not really, that's up to you. However, you will need to have strong abdominal muscles to deal with air/motion sickness and G-forces. We recommend that you do at least 200 stomach crunches every day.

There has been a dramatic improvement in laser eye surgery safety over the last 10 years. If the aviation career is important to you, we recommend that you consider this option. Potentially, such surgery could improve your eyesight to 20/20 (100%). However, there may be a long waiting period, between 6 to 12 months after the surgery, before you will be eligible to take aviation medical. Please, consult your doctor before you making such decision.

You can reduce your blood pressure by cutting out salty food from your diet, picking up 45-60 minute cardio workouts on daily basis and, if nothing helps, by taking medications that can lower your blood pressure. Consult your doctor before you take any medications.

There is no testing for this condition during your Class 1, 2 or 3 medicals. Most people get over it during the PPL stage of flight training. However, if you do not, please consider other career options. Consult your doctor first.

Again, there is no testing for this condition during your medical. But bare in mind that you will be spending a lot of time in a small cockpit. If you find this unbearable, please consider other career options. Consult your doctor first.

Absolutely. Do not be intimidated by the fact that this profession in dominated by men. The only consideration for you will be suspension from pilot duties during the pregnancy period and a few weeks after it. Once the maternal period is over you will be able to resume your flight crew duties.