Clearing the confusion: CPL vs AME

What is AME?

The Aircraft Maintenance Engineering course is the international license-based training on maintenance, repair, and problem-solving for aircraft issues. To take off from the aeroplane, authorization from a certified aircraft maintenance engineer is required. A plane must be in a fit-to-fly condition, according to AME. The astonishing rise in air traffic can be used to measure the development of aviation. The intense programmes require the candidate to demonstrate high commitment and dedication.

What is CPL?

The DGCA offers the Commercial Pilot License (CPL), which enables students to work as a Pilot in Command of any aircraft while being compensated for it. A CPL holder is qualified to fly both single-engine and multi-engine aircraft and serve as a co-pilot. The CPL course focuses on using aircraft in the air, which involves general flying, testing the aircraft, and passing skill tests per DGCA requirements.

How does AME differ from CPL?

A licenced individual with training in aircraft maintenance, repairs, and inspections is known as an aircraft maintenance engineer. An AME's duties include line maintenance, routine maintenance, and defect repair. Base maintenance entails significant structural or systemic repairs or modifications to the aircraft. Compared to an Aircraft, a pilot is someone who directs an aircraft's flight by using its directional flight control. Transportation of people and cargo is a pilot's primary duty. Pilots are members of a crew that flies and navigates an aircraft safely along with the captain, first officer, and co-pilot. They also conduct routine inspections of the aircraft.

Every job seeks out a few dependable and committed workers to carry out their tasks with a list of duties. The responsibilities both professions carry are different. The primary duties of both pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers are listed below.

Responsibilities of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer are:

  • To guarantee the aircraft's optimal operation and safety.
  • To do upgrades, inspections, repairs, and problem-solving on aeroplanes.
  • An AME's daily responsibilities include documenting, carrying out, and making emergency repairs.

Responsibilities of a Commercial Pilot are:

  • Examining the fuel, tools, and navigational systems before and after the trip
  • Keeping the plane in good working order and acting with professionalism, updating and comforting staff and passengers during situations
  • Analyzing flight plans and choosing the safest paths before takeoff
  • During flights, keeping an eye on the weather and talking with air traffic control is essential.
  • Keeping up to date with developments in aviation technology and equipment.

Career Option & Job Opportunities in AME:

The aviation maintenance engineers ensure a smooth and safe flight by confirming that the aircraft is running accurately and without a hitch. The engineers are also in charge of preventing risks during flight. They also perform routine inspections of aircraft to assess the condition of each component's functionality, report any issues right once, and provide remedies and fix any glitches. The engineers for aeroplane maintenance inspect the aircraft before takeoff and certify the certificate.

After earning a degree in aircraft maintenance engineering, you have many independent and financially rewarding job alternatives. The following careers are available to consider: -

  • Aircraft Manufacturing Industry: Aircraft such as those made by Boeing, Airbus, and other manufacturers are produced in this sector.
  • Aircraft Manufacturing Part Industry: The manufacture of aircraft parts is a concern of the aviation manufacturing part industry.
  • Aircraft Operational Organizations: Its duty is to ensure that aircraft safety standards are followed. The primary worker that oversees all aspects of aeroplane safety is an aircraft maintenance engineer.
  • Airlines Maintenance, Repair, and Overhauls (MRO): MRO companies are the firms that specialize in maintaining preset conditions and their parts, such as jet engines, landing gears, and others.
  • Aviation Training Center: Aviation Training Center teaches every type of flying technique.

Top National Airlines Recruiting for AMEs:

  • Air India
  • Jet Airways
  • IndiGo
  • SpiceJet
  • GoAir
  • AirAsia India
  • Vistara

Career Option & Job Opportunities in CPL:

A pilot and co-pilot must commandeer vehicles carrying cargo, passengers, or other objects for military or commercial objectives. You can therefore enter the industry as a trainer or instructor in addition to being a pilot or co-pilot. Training the pupils or even working with fresh recruits will be your responsibility. Three to four years of flying experience are also required for training and instruction. However, you can return to your alma mater to instruct the pupils. Additionally, flying clubs constantly hire instructors, and working for one is highly regarded. Airlines hire pilots of all nationalities so that you can find employment with both domestic and foreign airlines.

Top National Airlines Recruiting for AMEs:

  • Akasa Air
  • Jet Airways
  • Air India
  • Indigo

Practical training offered by WIIA:

India's only aircraft maintenance engineering institute features a fully operational Boeing 737-200 to provide students real-world instruction. Learjet-24 & Zenith CH 2000 are also available at the Institute of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (WIIA) for hands-on training on actual aircraft. The training materials were created to meet aviation industry standards and were given the Director-General of Civil Aviation's seal of approval (DGCA).

Students get to work in real-time on a global corporation. For practical training, WIIA - Institute of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering provides its students with a Boeing 737-200 outfitted with all the necessary controls, instruments, twin Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines, emergency doors, cargo doors, etc.

The WIIA, Institute of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering is proud to be the owner of actual Boeing 747-200 bogie type landing gear for the students' hands-on training, planning for the construction and disposal of the landing gear's brake unit, attachments, and other parts. Students gain practical experience with large aircraft equipment, providing a competitive edge in the global aviation market.

Conclusion:

The scope of AME in India is expanding daily due to the country's booming aviation industry, which has dramatically boosted the demand for highly qualified aircraft maintenance engineers. As a result, the opportunity for an aircraft maintenance engineer career is expanding, mainly as India competes to overtake the United States as the third-largest aviation market. A minimum of 7,54,00 licenced AME are required globally, according to DGCA. A career as an AME is possible both in India and overseas because there is now a lack of AMEs worldwide.

In several states of India, Boeing and Airbus want to establish their MRO Organizations, creating thousands of employment for AME. The entry of companies like Qatar Airways, WOW Airlines, and others into the Indian aviation business has increased the demand for AMEs.

The demand for AMEs is increasing day by day, and this is the perfect time to enrol yourself in this course to make your dreams come true.