Career Change
 

Hello all,

So I have been discussing a career change with my wife and she's here to support me. I just want some more input until I make my final decision. I have wanted to be a pilot since the age of 7. I grew up in a family that didn't have much money getting my pilots license was out of the picture when I was younger. So I decided when I was 24 I will join the Army.

I am currently 31 years old. I did 6 years in the military turning wreches on Apache Helicopters. I got out and got my A&P. Now I am currently a contractor working overseas makeing good money. I live in Central Pennsylvania, I don't have a degree and I have done two discovery flights just to make sure I wanted to do this.

I want to get my degree and use my GI bill. I have found a college here in PA that does a bachelor's degree with flight training they are a part 141 school but they are very new. Still trying to find out what my GI bill will cover. I probably won't start until 2020 as most of the slots have been filled.

I just want to know if anyone else thinks it's just a pipe dream or should I persue it. My wife supports me. Well I should say she supports me as long as we can stay in PA and I am fine with that. I understand that getting to a major airline is difficult and I am ok with that I can settle with a regional airline. I just really enjoy flying and would love to do it as a career.

Edit: noticed my phone decided to autocorrect change to chance my bad

Another thing If I do decide to do this would it be better to just do ATP and then go to a online college while working at a regional?

First of all, welcome to the forum! Be prepared to receive lots of both great and horrendous opinions and advice. Second of all, it's okay to have pipe dreams, we should all one or two.

You have a lot of option on how to go about doing what you want to do, and ultimately it will come down to what works best for you and your family more than anything else. Do NOT settle for a regional airline. You have a pipe dream, pipe dreams don't involve settling. Nobody gets into baseball hoping to one day play for the Wilmington Blue Rocks... Shoot for Red Sox. You can achieve it (if luck, timing, and opportunity are on your side).

It sounds like you are in a financially stable position. I suggest understanding exactly what you GI Bill will cover and maximizing that. Specifically, use it towards a bachelors degree. If you have the funds, pay for you flight training out of pocket. Do NOT go into debt for this career. Next depends on the type of individual you are. I'd suggest starting your degree ASAP, get credits out of the way. Don't procrastinate. The degree/141 sounds nice, but I'd guess it's expensive and over priced. They also probably are a great job of selling it to you. I'd highly recommend a degree in business or something else that interests you that you can use outside of aviation. This career isn't the most stable, and being able to do something else helps tremendously. A degree in aviation helps very little within the airlines. Where to get your training will spark a little argument on this board, so take all advice and choose what works for you. If you have the time/money, I'd suggest a zero-hero program like AllATPs etc. Others will suggest a part 61 school.

I also want to note that two discovery flights is not enough to know you want to fly an Airbus for a career. No offense. That's like saying I went to a local clinic and decided I want to become a surgeon. Flying a Cessna is fun!! Flying for a major airline isn't necessarily. It's a job. And it will take a lot of sacrifice and garbage to get there. FWIW, I have 15 years of experience, a part 141 flight school/aviation degree, and a masters degree in aviation.

Best of luck.

Why wait until 20/20 to start?

American Airlines owns three regional airlines. Guaranteed flow through to AA. It would take approx 8-12 years from zero to AA. You’d have 20-25 yrs at AA.

Start flying ASAP. Work in the degree online after you’re working as a pilot. It Wil take you 5-8 yrs to be competitive as a pilot and 3-6 yrs will be after your initial flight. You can use those 3-6 years to get your degree which will meet the college degree standard most airlines require. Fly first.

Check out Infinity flight group in Trenton. They’ve got a partnership with Mercer County Community college for a aviation program and a partnership with Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American based out of Philly that comes complete with a flow through to AA. This could be a very good answer for the situation you proposed as long as you’re within driving distance to philly or a one leg commute via plane once you’re in the industry.

You could also check out Liberty University’s online program with associated flight schooos to see if they have a flight school they partner with locally in your area.

Well one of the reasons why I can't start until closer to 2020 is I signed another contrat with my current job and that won't end until this time next year well into the school year. I want to be ahead on bills and have a good chunk of change in the bank to start.

I live about 2 hours away from Philly I am right next to Harrisburg. Well I know of two bachelor degree programs / 141 schools in PA one is Marywood University in Scranton, that one offers a BBA in aviation management. The other one just started up this year that one is EMU Lancaster they offer a degree in leadership and organizational management. They also are in contract with Aero-Tech Services as they flight school attached to the school. Both of them have cadet programs with Republic Airlines, PSA, and Piedmont.

I did look at the community college in Allentown that partners with I think PSA but not 100% sure on that. The associate degree is in aviation science and professional pilot.

Thank you everyone that has put input into this it really is greatly appreciated.