My name is Elliott Bowman and I have wanted to be an airline pilot for as long as I can remember. I'm 16 years old and will be entering my junior year in High School. I am currently on vacation in Victoria, BC even though I am from Seattle, WA. This whole vacation I have been doing nothing but reading up on and researching the aviation career field. I stumbled upon this site just a couple of days ago and I wanted to see if I am setting realistic methods to achieve my life long goal of becoming an airline pilot. I currently possess zero flight ratings but have flown my Uncle's piper pacer many times. Most of my flight "experience" comes from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and its MANY add-ons. I have probably close to $1000 worth of flight sim gear and have logged close to 600 hours on it recreating real world airline operations. I try to simulate everything as close to real as possible and I found out it was pretty darn when I received my 16th birthday present from my Uncle. It was two hours time in a Full-Motion Level-D 767-400 sim at Boeing Field. When I got their the instructor wanted to talk through all the different op's and all that but I asked if I could just fly sooner than later so I didn't waste away my two hours. He said sure and later said he was amazed that I could fly a 767 in zero visability and that the sim at home really does help. So obviously, it doesn't count towards anything but keeps me occupied instead of getting into trouble at home. I do not want to seem like a know-it-all or anything at all! I completely realise that I am nothing but an airline pilot wanna-be and have been my whole life.

I always write the pilot a note on every flight that I'm on and many times we exchange emails and are still in contact to this day. So I have been doing this for a couple years and have gained many new pilot friends. I have been asking them all how to get where they are today and with their advice, I have formed this general plan on how to go about becoming a pilot. Finish high school, attend UND and get my major in commercial aviation and a minor in economics. However, as I've seen by researching this site, a major in something else can help. So maybe I could double major economics with aviation? I really don't know if that is possible and hey if it takes extra time, so what! Better safe than sorry if my dream comes tumbling down due to a lost medical or whatever might be thrown my way. Hopefully the medical won't be an issue because as of right now I'm a two sport varsity athlete so I'm in pretty good shape and with a 3.9 gpa, extra education is no problem. Anyway, back on track...attend UND, get my degrees along with all the ratings up to CFI. Then I planned on returning to my hometown (Seattle) and trying to get a CFI job up here or where ever I can find work. Continue working as a CFI until I gain the precious hours and then start applying like mad to every possible regional out there. Then hope to get lucky and get hired and start the climb up the chain to the majors. Several pilots have told me, hey if you truly are as passionate as you say about flying, you will make it. I do believe I am pretty passionate, since it basically consumes me 24/7 haha. However, I want to be realistic and not make some training decision that will shoot me in the foot. I have pretty much zero interest in going the military route unless it is a last resort.

Money is not really a huge issue but I am far from loaded so I need to get my licenses reasonably (note UND not Embry). As I was saying, most pilots have been encouraging me positively and helped me a ton with my journey to becoming my dream. however, last week I ran into a pilot on my flight home from boston who told me the industry is screwed and to never go into it. This really blew me away because everyone else I've talked to has said go for it and this was the first pilot to say NO. This really set me back because he said I may get hired as a regional FO but then be stuck there forever and never make it to the majors because they just arent hiring. He said his airline still has 2800 more pilots on furlough to hire back before they start taking regional pilots up. So basically everyone, I want to know if I am being realistic and if my dream is achievable. I have wanted this all my life and would really like to know how to make it happen. I am only 16 so I have lots of time to figure this out, however, I believe the earlier I start, the better off I will be. Thank you so much airlinepilotforums and everyone who reads/responds!