Originally Posted by
CaptPappy
Knowing what you know now... would you recommend being a Pilot to your family members or friends looking for a new Career? Would you recommend becoming a "Pilot" as a career choice for your son or daughter?
I place this in the Regional section of this forum due to the fact that.... if you were to recommend such a life to those you love.... how would they react after reading your posts?
Personally, I would never recommend a career as a Pilot to anyone I know... I tell them to learn computers... and then buy your own airplane if you wish to fly...
I've said this before to several of my friends kids who wanted to be a pilot, two of which are now officers and going through flight school:
Join an Air Force guard, reserve, or Navy reserve unit and be a crew chief while going to school (many states will pay your tuition, or at least a good chunk of it). Take flying lessons on the side. When you graduation from college, apply for Officer Training School (USAF), or Officer Candidate School (Navy/ Marines) to that unit for a pilot position. Guess who usually sits on those boards............. The pilots and Commanders of that unit you have been a crew chief for.............
Go to flight school (yes, you will owe about 11 yrs to the service), come back to that unit and fly full time for guard or reserve unit. Volunteer for any and all deployments, etc. When you have the required time, apply to the majors or legacy airlines.
I guarantee you, military flying beats the hell out of any airline job, and, you will have a sense of pride that the majority of Americans wont experience.
12 yrs active duty USAF.