Am I on the right path? I'm new!
07-30-2017, 05:19 AM
#1
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Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 4
Am I on the right path? I'm new!
Hello, I'm Derick and I'm new to the forum. I've always been interested in industries where operation/control is either close to or IS the highest priority (obviously with safety of course). I'll be 21 this coming February and after having an unpleasant experience with an art school my parents wanted me to go to, I looked back into my interest of having a solid real career since the whole art school thing was filled with pretentious and annoying people to be completely honest.
I originally looked into becoming a locomotive engineer in NJ (for commuter lines) since I'm based in NJ and also because my family is a railroad family but the problem with that was to even get in the company. Unlike open flight training for the public, there is no public locomotive engineering school/training. You need to be in the company first which is sort of a catch 22 considering you need to have several years of certain mechanical experiences and work in a place prior to even applying that pertains to that which doesn't really make sense because even if you were academically inclined, you couldn't just learn the content and get the job. I'm guessing that has to do with the fact that NJ has the strictest engineering training in the country but that's a bit silly.
So after a few months of waiting for a call back from a commuter railroad for their "open locomotive engineer trainee positions hiring now!" I decided it was time to reconsider my options. Training for engineering takes around the same amount of time that getting all your certifications for flight takes which surprised me because in my head, flying an aircraft was more prestigious (not that locomotive engineering was substantially less but you get the point). I was always interested in aviation but this training time frame made me a lot more interested in the sense that this could become a viable career for me because I somehow always thought it would take like 10 years to even become a pilot.
So now that I'm sold on the whole pilot life thing, I've been doing a lot of research on flight schools in my area. I happened to find a cadet program for Piedmont Airlines which is an airline I've never heard of but they're a subsidiary for American Airlines (which is a good thing right? lol) which seemed pretty cool to me. If anyone has experience or knows what its like to work with Piedmont Airlines, please feel free to let me know about things because I want to get into this full time. Anyways, the school that I found that is hosting all of this is called Infinity Flight and they're located at the Trenton Mercer airport in NJ of course. Their website seems clean and modern and everything seems legit. I just want to know if I'm taking a step in the right direction because the cadet program offers some perks as quoted from their site:
• Once qualified as an Infinity CFI with 500 hours, you are eligible for the Piedmont Cadet Program.
• As a Cadet instructor, you will receive partial tuition reimbursement each month, as well as numerous opportunities, including mentorship with airline industry experts.
• At Restricted ATP/ATP minimums, you will be enrolled in an ATP-CTP course, including transportation and accommodations, at no cost to you.
• After completing the ATP-CTP course and ATP Knowledge Exam, you will be placed into the next First Officer new hire class at Piedmont.
• Flow to American Airlines is based on seniority with no additional interview required.
The last thing I'd like to know is how long it would take me to become a captain. For age and timeline reference, I'm 20 now, I'll be 21 in February and I plan on going everything with this school within a year of this post or sooner.
I apologize if this post was too long, I'm just another person seduced by the excitement of aviation and I really want to make it my lifetime career. Thanks in advance to those who reply or simply read.
I originally looked into becoming a locomotive engineer in NJ (for commuter lines) since I'm based in NJ and also because my family is a railroad family but the problem with that was to even get in the company. Unlike open flight training for the public, there is no public locomotive engineering school/training. You need to be in the company first which is sort of a catch 22 considering you need to have several years of certain mechanical experiences and work in a place prior to even applying that pertains to that which doesn't really make sense because even if you were academically inclined, you couldn't just learn the content and get the job. I'm guessing that has to do with the fact that NJ has the strictest engineering training in the country but that's a bit silly.
So after a few months of waiting for a call back from a commuter railroad for their "open locomotive engineer trainee positions hiring now!" I decided it was time to reconsider my options. Training for engineering takes around the same amount of time that getting all your certifications for flight takes which surprised me because in my head, flying an aircraft was more prestigious (not that locomotive engineering was substantially less but you get the point). I was always interested in aviation but this training time frame made me a lot more interested in the sense that this could become a viable career for me because I somehow always thought it would take like 10 years to even become a pilot.
So now that I'm sold on the whole pilot life thing, I've been doing a lot of research on flight schools in my area. I happened to find a cadet program for Piedmont Airlines which is an airline I've never heard of but they're a subsidiary for American Airlines (which is a good thing right? lol) which seemed pretty cool to me. If anyone has experience or knows what its like to work with Piedmont Airlines, please feel free to let me know about things because I want to get into this full time. Anyways, the school that I found that is hosting all of this is called Infinity Flight and they're located at the Trenton Mercer airport in NJ of course. Their website seems clean and modern and everything seems legit. I just want to know if I'm taking a step in the right direction because the cadet program offers some perks as quoted from their site:
• Once qualified as an Infinity CFI with 500 hours, you are eligible for the Piedmont Cadet Program.
• As a Cadet instructor, you will receive partial tuition reimbursement each month, as well as numerous opportunities, including mentorship with airline industry experts.
• At Restricted ATP/ATP minimums, you will be enrolled in an ATP-CTP course, including transportation and accommodations, at no cost to you.
• After completing the ATP-CTP course and ATP Knowledge Exam, you will be placed into the next First Officer new hire class at Piedmont.
• Flow to American Airlines is based on seniority with no additional interview required.
The last thing I'd like to know is how long it would take me to become a captain. For age and timeline reference, I'm 20 now, I'll be 21 in February and I plan on going everything with this school within a year of this post or sooner.
I apologize if this post was too long, I'm just another person seduced by the excitement of aviation and I really want to make it my lifetime career. Thanks in advance to those who reply or simply read.
07-30-2017, 10:41 AM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2015
Posts: 327
Assuming this isn't a troll post, have you tried applying to various class II railroads? There are railroad training programs that you can apply to, and pay for, but I am not sure how much of an edge it will give you. Railroads have in house training programs. National Academy of Railroad Sciences is one such pay to learn type outfit. Don't know anything about them.
Your career in the railroad will be similar to the airlines with respect to schedules and being away from home. However, you will be vested in a better retirement system with a railroad and that retirement will go with you when you decide to move on to a class I railroad.
And as an aside, anyone who recommends anyone to go to art school needs their head examined. Going into debt (in terms of time or money spent) for an art degree is not wise decision making. Glad you got out in time.
Your career in the railroad will be similar to the airlines with respect to schedules and being away from home. However, you will be vested in a better retirement system with a railroad and that retirement will go with you when you decide to move on to a class I railroad.
And as an aside, anyone who recommends anyone to go to art school needs their head examined. Going into debt (in terms of time or money spent) for an art degree is not wise decision making. Glad you got out in time.
07-30-2017, 01:49 PM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2015
Position: Gear slinger
Posts: 2,898
Originally Posted by dpersian
Hello, I'm Derick and I'm new to the forum. I've always been interested in industries where operation/control is either close to or IS the highest priority (obviously with safety of course). I'll be 21 this coming February and after having an unpleasant experience with an art school my parents wanted me to go to, I looked back into my interest of having a solid real career since the whole art school thing was filled with pretentious and annoying people to be completely honest.
I originally looked into becoming a locomotive engineer in NJ (for commuter lines) since I'm based in NJ and also because my family is a railroad family but the problem with that was to even get in the company. Unlike open flight training for the public, there is no public locomotive engineering school/training. You need to be in the company first which is sort of a catch 22 considering you need to have several years of certain mechanical experiences and work in a place prior to even applying that pertains to that which doesn't really make sense because even if you were academically inclined, you couldn't just learn the content and get the job. I'm guessing that has to do with the fact that NJ has the strictest engineering training in the country but that's a bit silly.
So after a few months of waiting for a call back from a commuter railroad for their "open locomotive engineer trainee positions hiring now!" I decided it was time to reconsider my options. Training for engineering takes around the same amount of time that getting all your certifications for flight takes which surprised me because in my head, flying an aircraft was more prestigious (not that locomotive engineering was substantially less but you get the point). I was always interested in aviation but this training time frame made me a lot more interested in the sense that this could become a viable career for me because I somehow always thought it would take like 10 years to even become a pilot.
So now that I'm sold on the whole pilot life thing, I've been doing a lot of research on flight schools in my area. I happened to find a cadet program for Piedmont Airlines which is an airline I've never heard of but they're a subsidiary for American Airlines (which is a good thing right? lol) which seemed pretty cool to me. If anyone has experience or knows what its like to work with Piedmont Airlines, please feel free to let me know about things because I want to get into this full time. Anyways, the school that I found that is hosting all of this is called Infinity Flight and they're located at the Trenton Mercer airport in NJ of course. Their website seems clean and modern and everything seems legit. I just want to know if I'm taking a step in the right direction because the cadet program offers some perks as quoted from their site:
• Once qualified as an Infinity CFI with 500 hours, you are eligible for the Piedmont Cadet Program.
• As a Cadet instructor, you will receive partial tuition reimbursement each month, as well as numerous opportunities, including mentorship with airline industry experts.
• At Restricted ATP/ATP minimums, you will be enrolled in an ATP-CTP course, including transportation and accommodations, at no cost to you.
• After completing the ATP-CTP course and ATP Knowledge Exam, you will be placed into the next First Officer new hire class at Piedmont.
• Flow to American Airlines is based on seniority with no additional interview required.
The last thing I'd like to know is how long it would take me to become a captain. For age and timeline reference, I'm 20 now, I'll be 21 in February and I plan on going everything with this school within a year of this post or sooner.
I apologize if this post was too long, I'm just another person seduced by the excitement of aviation and I really want to make it my lifetime career. Thanks in advance to those who reply or simply read.
I originally looked into becoming a locomotive engineer in NJ (for commuter lines) since I'm based in NJ and also because my family is a railroad family but the problem with that was to even get in the company. Unlike open flight training for the public, there is no public locomotive engineering school/training. You need to be in the company first which is sort of a catch 22 considering you need to have several years of certain mechanical experiences and work in a place prior to even applying that pertains to that which doesn't really make sense because even if you were academically inclined, you couldn't just learn the content and get the job. I'm guessing that has to do with the fact that NJ has the strictest engineering training in the country but that's a bit silly.
So after a few months of waiting for a call back from a commuter railroad for their "open locomotive engineer trainee positions hiring now!" I decided it was time to reconsider my options. Training for engineering takes around the same amount of time that getting all your certifications for flight takes which surprised me because in my head, flying an aircraft was more prestigious (not that locomotive engineering was substantially less but you get the point). I was always interested in aviation but this training time frame made me a lot more interested in the sense that this could become a viable career for me because I somehow always thought it would take like 10 years to even become a pilot.
So now that I'm sold on the whole pilot life thing, I've been doing a lot of research on flight schools in my area. I happened to find a cadet program for Piedmont Airlines which is an airline I've never heard of but they're a subsidiary for American Airlines (which is a good thing right? lol) which seemed pretty cool to me. If anyone has experience or knows what its like to work with Piedmont Airlines, please feel free to let me know about things because I want to get into this full time. Anyways, the school that I found that is hosting all of this is called Infinity Flight and they're located at the Trenton Mercer airport in NJ of course. Their website seems clean and modern and everything seems legit. I just want to know if I'm taking a step in the right direction because the cadet program offers some perks as quoted from their site:
• Once qualified as an Infinity CFI with 500 hours, you are eligible for the Piedmont Cadet Program.
• As a Cadet instructor, you will receive partial tuition reimbursement each month, as well as numerous opportunities, including mentorship with airline industry experts.
• At Restricted ATP/ATP minimums, you will be enrolled in an ATP-CTP course, including transportation and accommodations, at no cost to you.
• After completing the ATP-CTP course and ATP Knowledge Exam, you will be placed into the next First Officer new hire class at Piedmont.
• Flow to American Airlines is based on seniority with no additional interview required.
The last thing I'd like to know is how long it would take me to become a captain. For age and timeline reference, I'm 20 now, I'll be 21 in February and I plan on going everything with this school within a year of this post or sooner.
I apologize if this post was too long, I'm just another person seduced by the excitement of aviation and I really want to make it my lifetime career. Thanks in advance to those who reply or simply read.
Right now Piedmont is expanding. Taking 2 jets a month and 3 jets a month starting next year. Upgrades to Captain are 1000hrs part 121 SIC time (or otherwise qualified time according to FAA refs) and 2500TT. Currently you can for upgrade 200hrs prior to meeting those minimums. It's taking new hires with no prior airline experience 12-18 months to get to 1000hrs SIC/ 2500TT.
Now is a great time to get into the program.
07-30-2017, 06:41 PM
#4
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Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by Quarryman
Assuming this isn't a troll post, have you tried applying to various class II railroads? There are railroad training programs that you can apply to, and pay for, but I am not sure how much of an edge it will give you. Railroads have in house training programs. National Academy of Railroad Sciences is one such pay to learn type outfit. Don't know anything about them.
Your career in the railroad will be similar to the airlines with respect to schedules and being away from home. However, you will be vested in a better retirement system with a railroad and that retirement will go with you when you decide to move on to a class I railroad.
And as an aside, anyone who recommends anyone to go to art school needs their head examined. Going into debt (in terms of time or money spent) for an art degree is not wise decision making. Glad you got out in time.
Your career in the railroad will be similar to the airlines with respect to schedules and being away from home. However, you will be vested in a better retirement system with a railroad and that retirement will go with you when you decide to move on to a class I railroad.
And as an aside, anyone who recommends anyone to go to art school needs their head examined. Going into debt (in terms of time or money spent) for an art degree is not wise decision making. Glad you got out in time.
This definitely isn't a troll post lol. Also "training" schools outside of rail companies are sort of a joke which explains why there's so little of them. Especially in a place like NJ. I've got relatives in significant positions within NJT (including my dad) that say that it isn't uncommon for railroads like Amtrak to have their employees tested at their facilities due to the rigorous testing that goes on. I think the passing average per class is around 10% of the student bodies or smaller. That didn't scare me though, it's just the fact that getting in the company is a bit annoying. Also I wasn't interested in Class 2 Rails so there's that. As for the art school thing, I was never a big fan of "formal" education just to have it, so my parents thought it would be easy if I just got a degree from an art school considering I do a lot of things involved with media but like I said, that was a horrible choice and it was $20k I could've invested in flight certification. I just talked to my parents about this school I mentioned here today and it looks like I'll be going to an open house for it soon. I'm curious, how is the retirement system in the airline industry?
07-31-2017, 09:30 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: A-320
Posts: 1,122
I have several friends that are engineers at railroads. All of them were either Flight Engineers or Loadmasters in the Air Force.
Retirements at airlines are very good at the majors. American, Delta and United contribute 15-16% of your pay into a 401k. FedEx and UPS I believe still have a pension system. Regional airlines are not good, typically 2-10% match for 401k. Personally I'd rather have the 401k than pension.
Retirements at airlines are very good at the majors. American, Delta and United contribute 15-16% of your pay into a 401k. FedEx and UPS I believe still have a pension system. Regional airlines are not good, typically 2-10% match for 401k. Personally I'd rather have the 401k than pension.
08-01-2017, 09:44 AM
#6
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Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by Otterbox
Piedmont is very much a real company and so is their partnership with Infinity.
Right now Piedmont is expanding. Taking 2 jets a month and 3 jets a month starting next year. Upgrades to Captain are 1000hrs part 121 SIC time (or otherwise qualified time according to FAA refs) and 2500TT. Currently you can for upgrade 200hrs prior to meeting those minimums. It's taking new hires with no prior airline experience 12-18 months to get to 1000hrs SIC/ 2500TT.
Now is a great time to get into the program.
Right now Piedmont is expanding. Taking 2 jets a month and 3 jets a month starting next year. Upgrades to Captain are 1000hrs part 121 SIC time (or otherwise qualified time according to FAA refs) and 2500TT. Currently you can for upgrade 200hrs prior to meeting those minimums. It's taking new hires with no prior airline experience 12-18 months to get to 1000hrs SIC/ 2500TT.
Now is a great time to get into the program.
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