I am currently 16 years old. At the soonest I could be a regional fo by the year 2023. At that point, would I be missing most of the hiring boom? From looking at the number of mandatory retirements I can see that I could possibly get the downfall of it but I will certainly not get the peak of it.

Thanks

 

Being there in five years with a degree is probably optimistic. Yes, you were born too late to be at the front of this hiring boom. But, you have fifty years to live it.


GF

 

With my current plan I should be able to get there in 5 years. I plan on doing a 2 year aviation degree and finishing my degree online. Also, I am graduating high school next year which should give me some more time.

 

Don’t be this focused on this career to this degree just yet. Life’s a journey, not a destination. Have fun, try different things, first. You’ll be 40 wondering what you missed.

My career was absolutely nothing like what I planned st your age and I wouldn’t trade it for any other imaginable one. And, I only got five years at Eastern.

GF

 

I personally know three guys that got into a major in their 20s. They were completely bankrolled until it happened, plus had daddies that were airline captains. If not for that they would have been stuck at a regional until their mid 40s. Not the greatest career without good backing and sponsorship.

 

Thanks for your response. I'm just trying to plan things out the best I can since I'm getting pretty close to starting this whole endeavor.

 

Be careful"putting the cart before the horse"....
Back in college I taught many new pilot's who thought they wanted to be airline pilots, and realized it was simply not for them. For some it was based on skills, $$, or just disliking it.
Enjoy life, see where it takes you. Rushing to get anyplace before you know what you want cause you haven't experienced life yet can lead you to end up someplace you didn't really want to go in hindsight.
Yes, stay focused, but keep an open mind.
Unfortunately aviation is a career that can be ended by so many things, many beyond your control, that you should keep your eyes and options open.

 

First thing first....


Talk to an AME and see if you can get a 1st Class Medical Certificate.


If you can, then get through high school, and if there is a way to do it, get your private license at the same time. As soon as you are done with high school, go to a Part 61 school and get all of your ratings as fast as possible.

Then build hours either as a CFI or doing some other work. You cannot get your ATP until you are 23 years old.

While you are building hours, have fun, do odd jobs, fly the Caribbean, Alaska, other parts of the world, etc since you can't get to the airlines until you are 23. Also at the same time you should be working towards a degree online from a reputable university.

A degree in aviation may be ok, but ideally you'll want to diversify in case you ever get in to a situation where you can't fly due to medical or an accident or the economy or furloughed etc.

I would recommend a degree in finance, it is very versatile if you ever need it. At 23 you will likely have a few thousand hours, go to the regionals and they will get you your ATP. And from there it is a simple career progression upward.

 

The odds of you getting “there in five years” for a regional job is fully achievable. But not for a major airline job. You could actully make it to a regional by 19. It just takes a lot of effort and focus.

As others have cautioned there’s no guarantee, especially as a 16 yr old, that the job is really what you’ll be satisfied with. If you enjoy it by all means chase it. If you realize it’s not for you change course. There is no point in being miserable, of second guessing yourself, for your entire adult life.

 

Not legal anymore. Must be 21 for a restricted ATP. Still can’t upgrade until 23.