How to Become a Indian Airforce Airman

Individuals who opt for a career as Indian Airforce Airman make sure that all the air and ground operations run smoothly. From operating air defence systems to fitting missiles, you are actively involved in all the action happening in the airbase and give your support to make it a successful mission.

After joining Air Force Air Man service under technical trades, you will be responsible for maintenance and testing aircraft and other equipment. A career as Indian Airforce Airman provides numerous opportunities for growth in a career which includes free educational qualifications and training. There are two groups, Group X and Group Y, both groups have two aspects technical and non-technical. After joining the Air Force, the Air Men of the technical group stays involved in servicing aircraft, weapons, radars, and specialist vehicles. 

While non-technical Air Men stay involved in financials, accountancy, administration, human resource management, security, logistic support, vehicular transportation, and numerous other types of work.

Maintenance work

Ensure proper maintenance of aircraft and handle the electronic and communication equipment.

Logistical support

Deliver logistical, meteorological, educational, and administrative support to the flying and technical branches.

Advisory

Provide control and advisory services to enable the pilot to conduct flights in total safety.

Monitoring

Monitor the skies for any potential threat and select the appropriate air defense system.

One can join the Indian Air Force as an officer in the flying, technical, or ground duty branches depending on his or her educational qualification. We have mentioned below the sub-disciplines of joining the air force airman or types of a Indian Airforce Airman. 

Flying Branch: Fighter pilots, Transport pilots, Helicopter pilots - You would be working as any of these pilots both during peace and war. You can get into the flying branch as a graduate [through the CDS exam (men), through AFCATexam (men and women), through NCC special entry (men)]. You can also get in after 10+2 by qualifying for the NDA/NA exam.

Technical Branch: Mechanical, Electronics - You would be taking care of some of the most sophisticated equipment in the world - You can get into this branch through the exam, AFCAT, or through University Entry Scheme (UES.)

Ground Duty Branch: Administration, Accounts, Logistics, Education, Meteorology - As part of these mentioned departments, you would be looking after and maintaining human and material resources or managing funds, working as internal auditors, or working as air traffic controller or fighter controller. You can get into this branch by qualifying AFCAT.

Medical and Dental Branch: Officers from Army Medical Corps are seconded to Air Force. The Air Force runs some hospitals and clinics where even Army and Navy personnel are entitled to treatment and vice versa.

Education Branch: Education branch officers design training programmes that incorporate the latest technological developments. In training institutions, they teach a variety of subjects like Science, Computer Technology, and Military Science. Responsible for guiding the personnel in furthering their academic qualifications. Organize and run the Air Force Schools for children of Air Force personnel. 

A career as airman in Non-Technical trades, the work involves assistance and support to the various functions from weather forecasting to the maintenance of records and files of the Indian Air Force and all its branches. The Air force recruitment for the role of Air Man is done by Central Airmen Selection Board. If you want to pursue a career as Indian Airforce Airman you may appear in the UPSC examination conducted for Airforce recruitment of officers. 

After joining Indian Air Force Air Man, one is exposed to various skills and jobs, therefore candidates opting to join Air Force must be versatile, competent, and capable. You are more likely to get pressurized under senior officers who may command you to perform in tough circumstances at times. 15 to 20 per cent of air men get promoted to the JCO level, hence he or she is subjected to early retirement at the age of 40 years. Generally, an Air Man performs for 15 to 20 years, then he or she gets retired.

 Indian Air Force provides him or her support to further get another type of employment. There are numerous perks provided after retirement in a career as Indian AirForce Airman. 

Does Indian Airforce Airman require travelling?

Likely

A career as Indian Airforce Airman comes with varying responsibilities which often require traveling, this could be in the form of a reassignment or training exercises or on a combat deployment.

Employment Shifts

Full Time

A career as Indian Air Force Air Man is considered a reputable defence job. It is similar to military service. AirMan job requires performing on a tight schedule. He or she can be called at any time. It is necessary for Air Man to show his or her presence whenever he or she has been called.

60 per cent of airmen are required to perform in two watch systems, for example, if a team requires to come one to two hours before the local sunrise time and perform till 1:30 p.m to 2:00 p.m, the same team will again require to show up at 7:30 p.m to 8:00 p.m and work till 10 p.m, 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. They might require to stay on duty till morning or wait to get relieved by the previous day's afternoon shift. 

The same night team again has to show up for the afternoon shift and it goes till Friday. Saturday and Sunday will be off for this shift pattern. 20 per cent of airmen work in three watch pattern shifts where three shifts work all the time. Another 10 per cent work for a standard shift of eight to ten hours per day for five days a week. The remaining 10 per cent Air Force AirMen work whole 24 hours a day for all seven days a week.

Employment Nature

Permanent

Around 15 to 20 percent of AirMen get to retire after serving 15 to 20 years in the service at the age of 40 years. Therefore, we cannot consider it permanent employed. We can consider it as employment on a contractual basis. The duration of the contractual term ranges from 15-20 years, one is likely to get retired at the age of 40 years in a career as Indian Air Force AirMan. 

Work Place

Office, On-Field, Air Craft

Indian Air Force organization has the Air HQ at the top, under which are various Air Commands. The Air Commands, understandably, are spread out all over our country. Working hours are decided at the Command HQ for all the units under that Command. They amount to 46 hours or week.

Presence in Geographical Area

Semi-urban, Rural, Urban

Depending on the location of the base, the employment can be in rural, semi-urban or urban areas.

Time Pressure

Likely

Individuals who opt for a career as Indian Airforce Airman have to face a lot of time pressure after joining the Indian Airforce Airman job. Indian Air Force Airmen are required to work under time constraints and a stressful work environment. Air Man serving under technical group X spends a lot of time flying or doing equipment checks or planning for contingencies, preparing for flights, writing reports, and waiting for planes to arrive. While Group Y non-technical Air Man is involved in management-related tasks.

Overtime Details

The working hours for Indian Airforce Airmen are generally 75 hours to 100 hours per month. Individuals who opt a career as Indian Airforce Airman are required to work on nights, weekends, and holidays, and may spend a lot of time away from their home base. However, even the odd working hours are already scheduled before so they’re only required to work as per their allotted time and not overtime.

Weekly Hours of Work

Min 40 Hours

The minimum hours of work range from 40 to 50 hours a week. The standard working hours may vary for Air Man jobs. Several works for 8 to 10 hours a day. While several other airmen are likely to stay on duty in double shifts. 

Unlike other career options, Air Force is replete with risks, obstacles and thrills galore. Hence the aspiring youth need to do some serious thinking about adopting this profession. Before opting to join Airman in Airforce, you must be aware of the skills that you'll be required to perform efficiently in the AirMan job role. 

Adventurous: The adventurous type of personality was generally high-spirited and mischief-makers. A career as Indian AirForce Airman demands individuals to be brave, confident and physically strong. They could speak up to everybody who tries to benefit from them. Adventure activities evolve belief in the skills and knowledge of leadership skills that are vitally important for everyday functioning in the career as an Indian Air Force Air Man. The Indian Air Force performs a prominent role in developing air fighters with adventurous skills. Airman of the Indian Air Force must have a sense of adventure in-built into them. 

Risk Taking: Risk management within the organisation is important because the industry can not potentially establish its goals for the future without it. If such an industry sets targets without understanding the risks into account, they are sure to lose path even before any of those potential consequences hit. Now if we talk about the Indian Air Force then definitely we can admit that professionals in this industry must be willing to risk their lives for the nation. Indian Air Force Air Men is a defence job which requires risk management. 

Hardworking: The first and only approach to achieving the goal is hard work; it gives everyone patience, commitment and dedication. Working hard is significantly the most important, as it is only by hard work that we would accomplish life's objectives. Whereas comparison, smart work always results in shortcuts and laziness. Individuals who opt for a career as Indian Airforce Airman must be hardworking, and able to withstand difficulties in strenuous jobs. 

Traveller: Traveling every day brings with it a whole new range of challenges and possibilities. The manner in which one manages such also provides a basis for understanding oneself. Individual people come back home realizing themselves differently, and getting a new outlook on what they want to do with their lives. Likewise, both group X technical and group Y non-technical Air Men continue to know different things and they find themselves in a better way while travelling as well as functioning. Individuals who opt for a career as Indian Airforce Airman require a lot of travelling, so the professionals must be fond of travelling otherwise it might be monotonous for them and become difficult to survive.

Physical strength: Physical strength is necessary for almost every profession. Though some desk jobs do not require that much physical activity but still every professional needs to be physically active to perform their tasks properly. Mental health is also essential in every profession, now coming back to this profession, it requires physical and mental strength to join the Indian Air force to fly for long hours. 

Patience: Patience is a vital component of organisational performance in the career as Indian AirForce AirMan. People have to experience several conditions that really need patience. Like, due to the seriousness of some issues, professionals need to work additional shifts. Individuals might just get trapped in various conditions that require immediate response and at that time they need to control their impulses. Air Man must have a calm temperament and strong nerves to serve calmly and patiently in those situations.

There are various Indian Air Force jobs. One could opt for the jobs roles mentioned below in the career as an Indian Air Force Air Man with progression. The career hierarchy for Indian Air Force Air Man is as shown below.

Aircraftsman-Leading Air Craftsman (LAC)-Corporal (CPL)-Sergeant (SGT)-Junior Warrant Officer (JWO)-Master Warrant Officer (MWO)

Master Warrant Officer (MWO): In this rank, an Officer is designated by a warrant, unlike Commissioned Officers who get designated as an Officer by a Commission. It is the highest rank among Junior Commissioned Officers. To become a Master Warrant Officer, Airmen need to serve a minimum of 28 years.

Warrant Officer (WO): A warrant officer is a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer(SNCO) and a senior Air warrior(airman). A warrant officer is part of warranted ranks which consists of a Junior warrant officer who gets promoted to Warrant officer and then to Master warrant officer.

Junior Warrant Officer (JWO): A warrant officer is a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer(SNCO) and a senior Air warrior(airman). Warrant officer is part of warranted ranks which consists of a Junior warrant officer who gets promoted to Warrant officer and then to Master warrant officer. It's part of the Air warrior hierarchy. 

Sergeant (SGT): Sergeant in Indian Air Force is a non-commissioned rank and also called Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, in short SNCO. The immediate junior rank of sergeant is Corporal and higher is Junior Warrant Officer.

Corporal (CPL): Corporal' is a rank given to an airman who is senior to a 'Leading Aircraftman' but junior to a 'Sergeant'.

Leading Air Craftsman (LAC): It is the lowest rank in the IAF. The Airmen join at this rank only in the IAF. After the promotion, the Aircraftsman becomes Leading Aircraftman. 

How to get promotions in a career as an Indian AirForce AirMan?
Air Men are required to qualify for promotional exams after completing a minimum required experience in the previous role to get promoted to a superior role in their career as an Indian AirForce AirMan. 

Salary of Air Man

A career as Indian AirForce AirMan comes with several other benefits that are not provided in private jobs and other major civil services. AirMan receives various benefits. It includes accommodation, medical facilities for both self and dependents, ration, LTC for self and family, education loans and other free interest loans for house repair, the marriage of sister, and daughter, scholarships for children, and other benefits. 

We have provided below the salary insights of Air Man jobs with progression in rank.

Also, read: Career as a flight engineer

Quality control is maintained on all types of training provided in the career as Indian Airforce Airman, not only at the training units but also at specialized training establishments. Training Command ensures that the trainees passing out possess the necessary skills and knowledge for effective realization at the operational units. There is a great scope for career growth in the AirForce AirMan jobs. It is one of the most well-respected jobs in the world. Nothing can substitute the joy of serving the nation.