Pilot's Opinion...
06-30-2012, 02:08 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Position: Retired 767 Captain
Posts: 548
I`m on the other end of life from you. Take a little advice from an old guy that has had many years of experience, probably not smarter, but way more experience. Forget getting any kind of aviation degree. Go into something that will do you some good in case your aviation plans don`t work out. Forget your plans to buy a complex aircraft like the Cirrus. Those are for doctors with a load of money. No one knows what will be happening 10 years from now, but it`s good that you are thinking ahead. Good luck to you in anything you do.
07-07-2012, 04:07 PM
#14
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Posts: 64
Don't plan it out too much. You'll end up driving yourself crazy.
You're only 14. Chill. Live out high school, go to college and get a degree in anything other than aviation, and continue to build time. Buying a cirrus as a low-timer is ludicrous. If you must buy a plane (risky investment), get something older and easier to fix.
Like I said before, planning ahead is good, but don't drive yourself crazy with this excessive planning crap. You'll figure it out as you go, and believe me, your priorities will change as you get older.
You're only 14. Chill. Live out high school, go to college and get a degree in anything other than aviation, and continue to build time. Buying a cirrus as a low-timer is ludicrous. If you must buy a plane (risky investment), get something older and easier to fix.
Like I said before, planning ahead is good, but don't drive yourself crazy with this excessive planning crap. You'll figure it out as you go, and believe me, your priorities will change as you get older.
07-07-2012, 07:00 PM
#16
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Posts: 64
Originally Posted by ryfitzger227
I'm currently 14 years old and I have around 40 hours of flight time in a C172. I've been flying since I was 12 and have had my life planned out since I was 9. Haha. I would like to have an airline pilot's decision regarding my "plan" of becoming an airline captain.
I will continue flying until I get my private. I can't solo until I'm 16, and can't get my PPL until 17. After I get my PPL, my gift will be a down payment for a Cirrus SR20. So I'm going to continue gaining hours in that, but I'm also going to stay away from getting certificates. (As requested from the college I want to go to). Next, I'll enroll into Liberty University's School of Aeronautics, in Lynchburg, VA, to get my Bachelors in Science of Aeronautics - With my concentration on Corporate/Commercial Aviation. While I'm attending LU for 4 years, I will be going to the Air Force ROTC Program based out of the University of Virginia. When I get out of college I will have my CPL and hopefully my CFI. I want to go into the Air Force for how ever many years it is... I've heard from one person it was 7, and another 4 years. Hopefully flying Cargo jets (C5, C17) or the B52, or even the KC135.. Ya know,... heavier jets. Then I'll come out with putting in applications for Delta, United, American, etc.
My main question is.. How good is this plan? - How far will it get me?
Now, I realize I won't come out flying the 777/747s, but just like any other pilot, my goal is to HOPEFULLY one day fly the 777/747s. By using this plan, will I get accepted pretty quick in a major airline? Will I come out flying the 737 or higher? Will I start out as a Captain or F/O?
I have also considered corporate.. The only reason why I did, however, was for their scheduling. (Only working like 9hrs a month and getting payed $95,000 a year!). Airline's pay are a tad higher. I could score a 737 job flying for about $100,000 a year as a Jr. Captain with a major airline. How cool is it to get payed that much, for something that you love doing?! Anyways, the next question is, how is airline scheduling? I understand your schedule comes out a month before, and in order to make changes you need have more seniority, but how much CAN you change your schedule as a Jr Pilot? And, on AVERAGE how many days out of a month are you gone? ... around 20?
I know this post has a bunch of questions, and is fairly long.. But please answer back. I'm looking to get as much answers as I can. I love to look at different opinions from different pilots. That's why this plan has been changed so many times! But I'm trying to figure out what I need to do to get my dream to come true.
Thanks!
- Ryan
I will continue flying until I get my private. I can't solo until I'm 16, and can't get my PPL until 17. After I get my PPL, my gift will be a down payment for a Cirrus SR20. So I'm going to continue gaining hours in that, but I'm also going to stay away from getting certificates. (As requested from the college I want to go to). Next, I'll enroll into Liberty University's School of Aeronautics, in Lynchburg, VA, to get my Bachelors in Science of Aeronautics - With my concentration on Corporate/Commercial Aviation. While I'm attending LU for 4 years, I will be going to the Air Force ROTC Program based out of the University of Virginia. When I get out of college I will have my CPL and hopefully my CFI. I want to go into the Air Force for how ever many years it is... I've heard from one person it was 7, and another 4 years. Hopefully flying Cargo jets (C5, C17) or the B52, or even the KC135.. Ya know,... heavier jets. Then I'll come out with putting in applications for Delta, United, American, etc.
My main question is.. How good is this plan? - How far will it get me?
Now, I realize I won't come out flying the 777/747s, but just like any other pilot, my goal is to HOPEFULLY one day fly the 777/747s. By using this plan, will I get accepted pretty quick in a major airline? Will I come out flying the 737 or higher? Will I start out as a Captain or F/O?
I have also considered corporate.. The only reason why I did, however, was for their scheduling. (Only working like 9hrs a month and getting payed $95,000 a year!). Airline's pay are a tad higher. I could score a 737 job flying for about $100,000 a year as a Jr. Captain with a major airline. How cool is it to get payed that much, for something that you love doing?! Anyways, the next question is, how is airline scheduling? I understand your schedule comes out a month before, and in order to make changes you need have more seniority, but how much CAN you change your schedule as a Jr Pilot? And, on AVERAGE how many days out of a month are you gone? ... around 20?
I know this post has a bunch of questions, and is fairly long.. But please answer back. I'm looking to get as much answers as I can. I love to look at different opinions from different pilots. That's why this plan has been changed so many times! But I'm trying to figure out what I need to do to get my dream to come true.
Thanks!
- Ryan
...typical flight school. LOLGet your ratings the absolute CHEAPEST possible way. Please for the love of god, stay away from expensive university flight programs.
07-09-2012, 01:49 PM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2009
Posts: 276
I like the part about working 9 hours a month and making $95K. What a joke. I don't know where you get your information, but to make that kind of money in ANY job, plan on working your rear end off. Buying a Cirrus? What a waste of money. Single time is single time.
07-09-2012, 05:50 PM
#18
New Hire
Joined APC: Jul 2012
Position: C-130J
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by LowSlowT2
And just to be clear it's wings+10 - that's 1 year of UPT and 10 years of service = 11 years of your life.
I applaud you for thinking this far in the future. It's a long road in front of you and you're better prepared simply by knowing what you want to do. I didn't have a clue for a long time and while I didn't quite 'fall into' aviation, it wasn't what I thought I'd do when I was your age.
Study hard, do well in school - nobody can take away your education, but they can take away your job. You can also lose your medical for any number of reasons once you are no longer invincible like you are when you're young.
Good luck!
I applaud you for thinking this far in the future. It's a long road in front of you and you're better prepared simply by knowing what you want to do. I didn't have a clue for a long time and while I didn't quite 'fall into' aviation, it wasn't what I thought I'd do when I was your age.
Study hard, do well in school - nobody can take away your education, but they can take away your job. You can also lose your medical for any number of reasons once you are no longer invincible like you are when you're young.
Good luck!
And to make it even more clear, it's wings + 10, 1 year of pilot training, and normally about a year of casual status before training begins. It really becomes a 12 year commitment.
So if you graduate college at 22, start UPT at 23, graduate at 24, then you'll be complete with your initial commitment at 34.
Everyone above who says "Stay away from an aviation degree" is 100% correct. Go for that engineering degree, physics degree, business degree, or whatever else. Then if your eyesight fails, you find out you're slightly color blind/lack of depth perception, or you get that one concussion in a car accident that wasn't your fault then you're not limited for life.
If you plan on going in the Air Force anyway, why spend all the time/money getting a bunch of certificates and licenses beforehand? The minute you graduate UPT you get your commercial license, multi-engine, and instrument ratings.
My advice would be: Focus on high school academics and extracurricular activities. And girls. Don't forget to focus on those. Funny how much your outlook will change when you notice those and you get a car. You need to have a strong GPA, good ACT scores, and breadth of experiences to get an academic scholarship to a college or a ROTC scholarship/Academy appointment as a fall back. You'll learn more about life and eventually be a better pilot from your time on the football/baseball/track team and weekends as a cook at the local Italian restaurant.
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