There are two ways to the airline life: civilian or military. There are plusses and minuses for each route. I went the military route, and flew jets in the Marine Corps. Yes, there is more to the military the just the Air Force guys. Don't forget about the Navy and Marines, and I just flew with a guy that retired from the Coast Guard. Remember, we're all on the same team. Some fly off 10,000' runways and others off an aircraft carrier.

As for the military, the training is second to none. You get to fly high performance jets or turbo-props. You get paid as an officer and the flight training is free. I still can't believe they gave me the keys to the jet at age 24 and said go land on the boat! Downside could be long deployments to the sand box, tough if you have a family back home. If single, no problems.

Either way, study hard in school, get a four year degree. If you want to fly in the military, consider the Naval or Air Force Academy or try to get an ROTC scholarship. Another good deal is to "rush" a Guard or Reserve unit for a pilot slot. This way you get to fly 2-10 days a month for Uncle Sam, then have the rest of the month to do what-ever.