There are currently many ways of obtaining a commercial pilot's licence viz a 54 week residential course at a recognised Air Training School. Occasionally, full or partial sponsorships are available from commercial airlines. It usually takes about 35 hours of flying tuition at a flying school to gain the PPL sponsorship on the Malaysian Airlines' cadet scheme. Entrants must be between 18 and 23, have five credits at SPM or equivalent and pass a variety of selection and aptitude tests training as a pilot in the armed forces and later taking a conversion course on to a civil aircraft type. The air training schools run such courses.
Some airlines run their own.
Once pilots have obtained their first licensed they will be put through further training courses on joining an airline. Such training in fact never ceases throughout their career as they have to retrain and attend refresher courses for each new aircraft type they fly and have to show regularly that they are competent and fit to fly. Training requirements for helicopters are similar to those for fixed wing aircraft in that a pilot must be licensed. This requires 1200 hours as pilot in command of a helicopter. The basic licence can be gained at a recognised flying school.