Originally Posted by rickair7777

Vision: If you can see OK with glasses/contacts, I would recomend NOT getting the vision surgery. Vision surgery can actually reduce your best visual acuity. The FAA requires you to see 20/20, but it's ok to wear your glasses for the eye test. Surgery could lower your best vision with or without glasses to 20/25 which is a no-go.

Military: If you can somehow qualify, DO IT! You will get paid FAR MORE if you spend your first ten years of aviation in the military. Your average civilian pilot pay during those ten years would probably be $25K (minus what you paid for training). Your average military pay would probably be $80K. You would be making well over $100K by the time you reach ten in the military. Just stay out of helicopters...

Copilot: Now called first officer, that is where you start at pretty much any airline or cargo job (except small planes where you are the ONLY pilot).

Degree: Finish your AA first, that will help get you a regional job. But PLAN on finishing the 4 year at some point to get to a major (cargo or pax).

Knowing Someone: You will meet lots of people working at your various aviation jobs.

Flight Instruction: There are a few schemes out there to avoid this, but they cost big $$$$ and are risky (do you feel lucky?). Flight instruction is often fun, sometimes not, looks great on your resume, and is the accepted way to gain experience in the industry if you didn't do the military.

Pilot Jobs: Geography has nothing to do with it, you are extremely unlikely to get an airline job in your hometown (unless you live in Newark, NJ lol). Very few pilots are this lucky. When you get hired at an airline, your company will usually have several bases and you can work out of whichever one you like if you have the seniority. Many pilots commute from other cities (free travel on ANY US airline), including me. You can get a flight instruction job anywhere, and probably get a night cargo job in your general area. There will be LOTS of pilot retirements in the next 5 years for sure as many Vietnam Vet ex-miitary pilots retire.

Being a minority will CERTAINLY help you get an interview at a regional and eventually major airline. You probably wouldn't even need a recomendation. It would also help you get in the military. You still have to prove you're a good pilot.

My recomendation would be find a local school or FBO, take the Private Pilot ground school, then start taking lessons. If you enjoy flying, then pursue the career. It started out as a hobby for me, and I'm a lot happier (despite all of the industry turmoil) than some other folks who did it for the $$$.