Originally Posted by
wrxsteve
warning : the future for upcomming pilots are going to have major problems in their career... its declining one day at a time... 30-40 years from now we might not even have any airlines left in this country. Our pay and benefits are going to decrease more and more as oil prices rise.
Wow...too much Half Life my friend. I think you need to step away from computer and the turtle wax for a little while. Until they invent a safe, reliable, efficient means of instant teleportation (ala Star Trek) there will ALWAYS be airlines, in this country and abroad. People will always want to go on vacation, see friends and family and attend meetings and conferences in person. Period. Are the airlines experiencing a rough patch? Yeah, its tough right now. Are the airlines going anywhere? Nope.
Originally Posted by ReadHeadBirdie
I'm 20yo female highly interested in enrolling into a aviation school. I've done my homework and have thought about this for 2 years now. However, am still unsure if I'm making the right move. Seems to me, most of you enjoy what you do. I'm 99% sure I'll enjoy it too, but then again, it's not like I have any experiance in the field either.
So my question to all pilots,
If there is something you could warn me of, or inform me of, or just something I need to know... BEFORE going to school.... please tell me.
Like, if there is one thing you could tell a wanna be pilot... what would it be???
In response to the original poster and to second some of the other posters here, I would recommend finding a small FBO at your local airport and start working on your private pilot certificate. Getting your feet wet before committing to a long term and potentially expensive program is a good way to decide if you like aviation, if you can really afford it or if you have the aptitude for it (some people just weren't meant to be pilots) and you just might have a little fun flying friends and family around (something you don't really get to do at most "pilot factories"). If you decide its something you want to pursue further you could look at university programs (if you don't already have a 4 year degree) or continue your training locally. The biggest piece of advice I could give you or anyone else thinking about getting into aviation is: MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED TO PAY FOR IT. What I mean by that is make sure you have a plan in place for how to finance your training so that you don't get interrupted by financial speed bumps. I would also recommend avoiding debt as much as possible. You're young so if it takes you a few months longer because you have to work to pay for your training, it is worth it. I know several people at my current airline and friends around the industry as well as numerous jumpseaters that I've talked to that are trying to figure out how to eek by on first year FO pay (roughly $1200-1400/mo) after they take out their $800/mo student loan payment.
Personally, I got my private at a local FBO then went to a large university (UND) for my degree and the rest of my ratings through MEI then worked as an instructor at both a small FBO and back at UND. I avoided debt as much as possible by waiting tables and bar tending and a few bail outs from the parents. Feel free to PM me with any questions.