dmac25

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and this is my first thread. I hope I can get some good advice from you all and I appreciate your feedback.

I got my private pilot certificate in high school for free from a trade school program. I went to college and I will be graduating in under a year with a degree in civil engineering with a 55,000 dollar a year job lined up for when I graduate. I've tried twice to get an instrument rating while in college but between engineering classes and Cessna's online IFR training course the stress was too much so I put off flying until after graduation. I have done several internships and will have almost 10,000 in the bank when I graduate from working over the summers, as well as NO STUDENT debt.

I really want to be a pilot and its always been my dream. I cant stand engineering (although I'm good it, with a 3.7 GPA) and I am not happy about the job I will have when graduating. I will be 22 when I graduate. From reading aviation forums it seems like the big hiring for the airlines is starting and will continue for a while.

My question is this. I will be able to buy a Cessna 150/152 for around 20,000 (I can live at home to save on rent and food) with around 500-800 hours on the engine. Would it be worth it to fly the crap out of it to get near that 1500 hour minimum for the ATP, or should I use the money I have saved along with my salary to get my ratings and become a CFI?

Sorry about the lengthy self description but I want anyones input to be based on the full understanding of my situation. Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks

BYOB

Talk to the military. Serious. Or the Air Guard or Reserves. Get the government to pay for your training, have an airline career waiting for you down the road. If it doesn't work out, you'll have your college education to fall back on. You are LIGHT YEARS ahead of most your age.

Explore all your options...but I'd look closely at going the military route.

hindsight2020

I was in your shoes as an engineering graduate. I came loathe the idea of working the field, after realizing it was nothing more than glorified computer coding; hardly any hands-on work and the realization I ultimately wasn't happy pursuing a sedentary occupation.

I pursued the non-Active-Duty military. Air Force Reserves in my case. Now, my motivation wasn't to become an airline pilot, it was to fly fighters. I never did get the opportunity to get hired to fly the fighters I wanted, but I've been able to put food on the table and build quality turbine time.Eventually I managed to wedge my way into trainers and finally happy to be doing the kind of flying I wanted to do from the beginning. I'm also an aircraft owner, opportunity which became financially accessible once I became a full-timer.

In your situation, I'd say you're ahead of the game. I ended up hiding in eng. grad school for 3 years while waiting to get hired by either the ANG or Reserves, and during that time I got my IR, CPL, CFI and -II by working a retail job. The bottom line is gonna be, how do you want live while building time, income wise.

You could drudge through an engineering desk job and use that money to build time in a privately owned -152. Or you could go the CFI route and live on that income and lifestyle (i.e, poorly for an engineering graduate). I can tell you the prospect of private ownership is a gamble: the aircraft could have a significant mx expense during your first annual and that can throw off the math of building hours cheaply. Or it could be a more lucky ownership experience, and afford you the cheapest per hour flying time out there. You really can't get any cheaper than C-152 as far as time building is concerned. If you intend on flying 150-200hrs/yr you're still looking at a 10K+/yr all-in expenditure. As a point of reference, when I was dating my now wife long distance (420NM trip one way) I flew my old Warrior II for about 250 hours in one year in order to accomplish the trip every other weekend. That was about 15K all in for the year; mx, insurance, cheap hangar (125/mo), gas was around 9.5K with an average price of $5/gal and miscellaneous (oil and pilot trinkets). A C-150/152 would be cheaper than that, though not by much, and you wouldn't be able to go places at 90 knots. I owned a C-150 before the Warrior btw, so I got the T-shirt. If you are serious about building time, get a XC machine that would make those hours a bit more enjoyable and memorable. A cherokee 140 would be the cheapest practical traveler. As a point of reference my Warrior II cost me 30K to purchase in late 2011, with a runout engine. A Warrior I (5 knots slower due to the old wheel pants) or a 140 (short body backseat, basically a de facto two seater) would be cheaper than that.

So, your choice. There really is no clear cut guarantee in life. Understand that pursuing a professional aviation career is NOT a lucrative affair for the first decade or so, which will affect other elements of your personal life. Only you can determine if it's worth it. I fully admit I was not cool with the economics of professional civilian flying at the apprenticeship level, and resigned to pursue other occupations (not engineering) to make money and leave flying as a hobby, perhaps professionally on a part-time basis, if the military didn't pan out. Thankfully, the military panned out so I never had to return to school and re-train. Good luck to you.

Rama

Get your cfi, instruct and keep looking for low time jobs-skydivers, pipeline patrol etc. Find out about 135 freight operators, may be a shot vfr or in the right seat with 500 hours or so.
Flying your own airplane would be fun, but you want to get real world experience and all the good and bad that come with it.

Scraggly Heron

I strongly advise against going active duty military--your education is already paid for, and the active guys have no guarantee of ending up in a cockpit. Look at the Guard and Reserve (in that order) to see if there's a chance for you to get a UPT slot. At least that way you know, before signing anything, what your job would be.

Dubz

Marine Corps (and I think Navy) does aviation guarantee.

PRS Guitars

So does USAF if you go OTS. Though there is always a chance you'll wash out get RPA's.

PRS Guitars

OP,

Keep your day job, and cash flow your training in the evenings and weekends. Get your CFI and a job as an independent contractor CFI. Do that in the evenings and weekends until you get the hours for a regional. Do not take out a loan for any of this.

You sound like you have a good plan, except the part about living at home. It's time to move on, don't mooch off your parents, you make plenty of money to support yourself, be a producer not a taker. Besides, most women will not be interested in a guy living with his parents (although I understand that it is more common these days).

I too would highly recommend the guard/reserve. You'd likely be picked up with your credentials.