Originally Posted by
Heartstart1
Questions: should he do his private now while in HS to start on his hours? It's expensive and I will do whatever it takes to pay for it (we are not made of money but I can work more hours).
If you can get him to start flight training now, do it. He could get into that airplane and find that he hates flying. Or, he could get into flight training and discover that he simply does not have the aptitude or study habits for it. Or, he could discover that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread and is full throttles ahead. Building hours and getting consistent, regular, quality training is going to be very beneficial to him.
Originally Posted by
Heartstart1
College- He is looking at Utah State, U of ND, Embry-Riddle. Are there other schools you would recommend? These are not cheap especially when you add all the flight instruction to it. I have some money put away for College but nowhere near the cost of these schools. We have decided to either do student loans when the time comes or have him join the AF ROTC which leads to the next question....
You just listed some of the most expensive aviation colleges in the country. My advice is to avoid loans as much as feasible for flight training. There is nothing worse than to be $150,000+ in debt and have a $20,000-$50,000 job to pay it back with. He does not have to go to an aviation college to get a degree. I know of no airline who even cares what college you went to, except that you have a bachelor degree. They don't even care if it is a degree in basket weaving. Recent discussions have revealed that some major airlines shun pilots with an aviation degree. Too useless.
Originally Posted by
Heartstart1
ROTC- they want a 10 year commitment after school. By that time he will be 32y/o or so. Will he be missing the hiring window?
Any advice or insight would be great and very appreciated.
Thank You for your time,
Jeff
I would go ROTC and get into an air national guard unit. The qualifications for pilot positions are extensive and the selection process is not easy. The possibility for wash out is real and you are still committed regardless if you get a pilot position or not. So tread carefully here. Will he miss the boat? No one knows. The airline industry changes all the time. It is sensitive to the economic climate. There are simply too many variables to consider given that he won't be out there for 5 to 10 years, depending on which path he chooses to go with.
Since money is a factor, I would carefully consider just how much he wants to be an airline pilot and just how much he knows about the lifestyle of an airline pilot. If he's willing to accept divorces, difficult relationships, time away from home, time away from family, time away from children, moving from time to time, then have at it. I'm sure others on the forum will be able to shed some light on the life of a pilot. And you can ask questions about it and discuss it with your son. But make no mistake, do not ignore the realities of the career. It is not for everyone. There will be those who are in the airlines encouraging your son to get into it; but their motivations may not be congruent with yours. Getting people into the industry bumps them up higher; it does not necessarily help your son's career.
The airlines and pilot unions have no problems feeding their young to the wolves if it means an extra dollar per hour in their pockets.