A future in aviation? I have some questions.
 

Hi I am 16 and am interested in a career being a pilot and had a few questions regarding the profession. I haven't had any formal flight training yet but I am hoping to have some soon and I don't know many pilots that I could talk to so I came to this forum. Even if you cannot answer all of these questions, please answer the ones you can because all of your answers would be awesome and greatly appreciated!

1) Does the college degree you receive impact airline hiring decisions? I heard getting a degree is just proof that you can make a commitment to airlines, is this true?

2) Do well know aviation colleges such as Embry Riddle influences hiring decisions?
-Follow up to #2: If you went to Embry Riddle, can you tell me which one you went to (Daytona Beach or Prescott) and your overall impression and experience in college? Also, if you went to Embry Riddle Prescott, where was the airport you trained out of?

3) Could you go through your typical schedule on a work day? (Hours in advance you prepare, get to the airport, preflight check, and flight.)

4) Layovers constantly allude me; what is a typical overnight stay like? do you have time to visit and travel around and how long is a normal layover (Overnighters and not-overnighters?) Do you pay for your housing or hotel on a layover or is that based on your airliner? Is the hotel usually descent? How would an international layover differ from a regional layover?

5) Could you describe your experiences after college? How many years you had to work before you got a job as a pilot, how long it took you to become a captain, and how long it took to get hired by a legacy?

6) My parents are really skeptical about me becoming a pilot and the initial investment we need to put forth for a profession that may soon die off. Has advancements in computer technology posed a risk for pilot jobs in the near future or is a transition to a fully automated cockpit a long way away?

7) What do you do while you are flying? Are you constantly sharp and checking your dashboard or is it ok to relax a little by listening to music?

8) Why did you become a pilot and what pushed you to investigate a career in aviation?

9) Do you regret becoming a pilot? If you were to go back in time, would you still want to become a pilot when you get older?

10) What were some of the biggest surprises (good and bad) that you encountered as an airline pilot?

11) What recommendations would you give to a 16 year old to help him become a pilot if he hasn't had any experience flying a plane?

Thanks you so much for your answers, you don't know how much these answers will help! Happy holidays and sorry that this post was so long!

Currently it is a factor, not necessarily at the regional level but as you move on to the major airlines. It is a requirement at most to have a degree but I imagine that will start to fade as the pool of qualified applicants and flow-thrus start to dwindle. A degree makes you more competitive at most places where it isn't a requirement, but there are exceptions to that. Besides, why would you want to skip 4 years of making stupid decisions in front of girls your age in a parent-free atmosphere!? I learned some of life's most important lessons in college!

In my opinion it does very little towards giving you an advantage in hiring. I think it's an over-priced degree that is worthless in most respects. Also, it invalidates my argument above, the part about 'making stupid decisions in the presence of girls your age'. Skip ER and go to a state college and get a business degree. Learn to fly on the side. A lot less money and a lot more fun. For the same amount of money at ER you can become a doctor.
I typically fly 3 day and occasionally 4 day trips. Most days are 7-10 hours with 2-3 legs. Overnights are typically 12-18 hours. I commute so I leave about 5 hours before checkin. It's 3-4 hours to either drive or jumpseat to work. We check in one hour before departure and update our charts (all electronic now, iPad, 2 apps, sync both and done). I'll wander down to the gate, usually stopping to grab a snack or two, and then get to the plane 45 minutes before departure. Meet the crew, walk around, and then start loading the flight plan or bs-ing with the Captain and crew. Well, who am I kidding, I'm always bs-ing with Captain and crew.
Most layovers are 12-18 hours. The hotel is provided by the company, single occupancy unless you have some game. They're typically located near restaurants, bars and shopping. Long overnights (over 16 hours) are typically in a downtown area. You've got time for a nice meal, some walking around, maybe a few beverages if the time is right. As you get more senior, the cities get nicer and take longer to get to. First it's Allentown, Panama City, Flint, then it's Boston, San Francisco, New York, then it's Paris, London and Tokyo. I'm always looking for the little hole-in-the-wall local restaurant/pub, there's a world of food to discover.
I changed careers so it took me some time before I got into flying. I was at a small commuter for a few months then a large regional for 9 years and then a legacy that merged with another. We're a ways off from single pilot operations. There are so many redundancies built into the system that it'll take years before the FAA will sign off on removing a pilot. The single biggest advancement I've seen in my short 13 years is that we're using iPads for our manuals. There are planes flying around that were built in the 60's. Yeah, the autopilot does a great job flying straight and level, descending, etc, but there is countless interaction between pilot and airplane even when that part is automated. Hell, we can't taxi off the ramp with intervening somewhere in the process. Remote control with cameras???! Yeah, right!No, you don't really sit back and relax and listen to music. You're talking with the other guy, waiting for your crew meal, watching where you're going, talking to ATC and maybe perusing a magazine cough cough, or book (aviation related of course). It's not as boring as you think, compared to say, sitting in a cubicle writing code and looking out the window in to the sky, like I did for 10 years.

Read above paragraph, sitting in a cubicle writing code...
This job has made me unemployable in any other job. Wait, you mean I need to sit at this desk for 8 hours today and be productive!? No way. There is so much freedom in the confines of a 3 day trip that you can't imagine going back to a job where you are accountable daily to meetings, emails, phone calls etc. When you're flying, you're doing your work and you aren't even thinking about it. There is no slacking off because it's so regimented and results oriented, I'm flying from A to B and this is everything I do to do that. When I worked for a large corporation in IT, it was exactly like the movie Office Space, we would dwadle about trying to waste time to get thru the morning so we could get to lunch, I produced maybe 15 minutes of real work in the first 3 hours, I'm not kidding!

Go to your local small airport and take an introductory ride with a small flying school. It typically costs less than $100 and you'll know immediately if it is for you. It's like crack after that, you can't stop until you're sitting in the left seat wondering where the last 20 years went!
Personally, I think it's one of the best careers out there. I see some that have only flown and have never had another career and it's hard for them to compare. I worked for a small company and a large corporation before becoming a pilot so I feel like I've got a different perspective. I can't imagine doing anything else so now the goal is to stay healthy and try to fly it out. Good luck!

What a fantastic, funny and spot on post by SilverandSore, one that I would vote for post of the day.

The only difference I would add is a different perspective on getting to a flying career. I did mine in the military. They paid for my training and paid me at the same time. It's a great way to learn how to fly, but it's EXTREMELY competitive to get in these days, not like it was when I was accepted to pilot training.

Either way, an airline career is a great career, I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.

Best of luck in what you decide young man, the smartest thing your doing is gathering information and trying to make decisions at such a young age. Most young adults do not do this and drift aimlessly. I applaud you.

Silverandsore - great post.

My advice would be to get a college degree in something other than aviation. Something with teeth in the real working world. You never know when your flying career will be derailed. Can't get a medical, strike, airline goes out of business, etc.. You need a fall back plan, even if it is temporary. Additionally, that fall back plan can help pay the bills in the beginning of your airline career when you make peanuts.

S
 

I'll caveate this a bit. I wholeheartedly agree that you need to have a back up career path. This alternate path can certainly be aviation oriented, my alternate schooling is as an A&P, additionally my CFI has opened up opportunities outside of full time flying as well (my maintenance certifications helped me land almost every job I had before an airline). I am not recommending this specifically, just providing additional perspective.
First Class brings up an excellent point...Flight Physicals. I cannot stress this enough. As someone who has been through medical procedures that grounded me as an active pilot as well as dealing with the special issuance process, I strongly recommend that you make absolutely sure that you are medically qualified for a career path in aviation before pulling the trigger and spending tens of thousands of your (or your parents) dollars.

All the best in your career choices,

GP

^^^^^^

This is so important. Not only should a young person start out by getting a 1st Class Physical, they should also get an EKG. I know of a couple of guys who were medically eliminated when they took their first EKG at 35. That is a really ugly time to find out you are medically ineligible for amy class of physical.

Take a couple of lessons. Sometimes reality is different than perception. My first lesson was terrifying. Winch launched glider, it was beyond what I expected. I had a death grip on the frame (canvas glider, metal frame). Second one was almost as bad. Back to back launches and then about a 30 minute break to the next two flights. Between the two sets I decided if I wanted to become a pilot I had to get over this fear. By the end of the course I had the instructors nervous about how aggressive I was fighting for alititude on the launch.

Most of us don't get it in for the money, we do it to fly. Doing what's fun for you makes work easy.

You probably need 5,000 - 7,5000 hrs, in today's market, to reach the 50% experience level of major airline pilots with commercial pilot backgrounds. If you hustle you can get that by about 25 yrs old(5,000 hrs). With this path you can get your degree part time as long as you have it by about 24-25 yrs old(or about when you have a chance of getting hired by a major airline).

^^ This is close to the 'no life' option. Working full time and college full time, or almost full time. The payoff is a better airline career. Many have done it so it's not impossible.

The tough part is if you get on the hard core pilot treadmill how do you get your degree? In today's market it's a must. Will be a must in tomorrow's market? Maybe, maybe not. It's safer to get your degree vs. hoping the market shifts in your direction if you don't get a degree. And the degree can be used a fallback option if you have medical problems. Many have needed a fallback option. Many of us have had moments where we wondered if our flying careers were over due to medical issues.

Another excellent route is to join the Air National Guard. If you read the various military/reserve threads the ANG is typically considered the #1 choice for various reasons. If that's the path you choose getting your degree ASAP is best. The more flying experience you have prior to applying to the ANG the more competitive you'll be. But it's not just your flying resume so don't think "the most time wins." Flying experience will be just one part of the overall competitive process the unit uses to select their candidates.

Agreed.
Make sure you're not color-blind, go in for an EKG test for your heart, THEN go in for the 1st class medical exam with an FAA Medical Examiner. That's your first step.

Silverandsore nailed it.

My path was Riddle>Flight Instructor at local FBO>Regional>Major. I would definitely recommend a college degree (any), with flying on the side.

Best of luck
-T

Don't go into massive amounts of debt just to get your licenses. It may take a little longer but it will be worth it. When you start with your PPL, which you can start now I believe, find a local flight school or FBO that you can trade work for flight instruction.

Yes, I would get started at a local flight training operation. Get your feet damp towards a Pvt pilot license.

You will almost need a 4 yr degree, though there may be a few exceptions.

Keep your driving record clean along the way too.

1) Does the college degree you receive impact airline hiring decisions? I heard getting a degree is just proof that you can make a commitment to airlines, is this true?


1. Get your degree. In anything. As part of a backup plan, or second job interest while working as a pilot, is the best plan.


2) Do well know aviation colleges such as Embry Riddle influences hiring decisions?



2. No. It shows long term aviation interest but by the time you get hired by a major it's a tiny part of your overall resume.


-Follow up to #2: If you went to Embry Riddle, can you tell me which one you went to (Daytona Beach or Prescott) and your overall impression and experience in college? Also, if you went to Embry Riddle Prescott, where was the airport you trained out of?



3. DAB. Visited Prescott. Small campus. Small town. Small airport. It's about five miles north of town.

3) Could you go through your typical schedule on a work day? (Hours in advance you prepare, get to the airport, preflight check, and flight.)



3. I try to get to the parking lot two hours before departure. That's one hour before sign-in. Gives a bit of pad for traffic, etc. If it's a early departure I reduce the pad because traffic problems are low risk at 0500-0600.

4) Layovers constantly allude me; what is a typical overnight stay like? do you have time to visit and travel around and how long is a normal layover (Overnighters and not-overnighters?) Do you pay for your housing or hotel on a layover or is that based on your airliner? Is the hotel usually descent? How would an international layover differ from a regional layover?


4. Domestically there's probably three general types of layovers - min time which normally involves a quick bite and sleep, or sleep and a quick bite the next morning. If you have a longer than min time layover you'll have time on the arrival day, or departure day, to do stuff. Tourist stuff, shopping, exercise, visit friends/family, work on projects, schoolwork, second job, military paperwork, union work, are all common events.



With w/b flying layovers in foreign cities, especially Europe, involves tourist stuff. The reality is the down side is the 'international hangover', you'll be tired. On a Europe trip you tend to go to sleep about 0400 body time, take a 2-4 nap, and then get up and play tourist for 4-6 hrs. Dinner, drinks, back to sleep, and a 0100-0300 body time wake-up for the flight back. So Europe is cool but there's a price to pay that comes with the cool factor.


5) Could you describe your experiences after college? How many years you had to work before you got a job as a pilot, how long it took you to become a captain, and how long it took to get hired by a legacy?


5. Started working full time as a pilot in my junior year. Took 5.5 years to graduate due to full time work conflict with part time college. This was before online and video streaming of courses. I was offered flying jobs before I had my commercial license - "keep doing well and we'll hire you." That happened twice before I started my junior year of college.

Time to Captain? At a corporation? A year(senior in college). Hired by a legacy? From when? First flying lessons? 8+ years. From first flying job? 7 years. From college degree? Four years. Time to Captain at a major? Six years.


6) My parents are really skeptical about me becoming a pilot and the initial investment we need to put forth for a profession that may soon die off. Has advancements in computer technology posed a risk for pilot jobs in the near future or is a transition to a fully automated cockpit a long way away?


6. Avg college cost is $80-100K in state. Community college then in state can reduce the cost. Increases income avg from $40,000/yr (HS degree) to about $65,000. $80,000 at ATP gets you a comm/inst/CFI in 180 days and you're in the job market racking up flight time (while doing college part time). Early on the financial rewards are tough but eventually you'll make more financial returns from your pilot education than the typical college graduate makes from their college investment instead of just getting a H.S. degree. Read the tread in this section about days worked and income earned. Keep in mind the typical guy spends a minimum of 6-8 years to get one with a major airline so when they're talking about year two pay it's really year 8-10 of their flying career. But these are the successful guys. Would you be happy if you're only making $60,000 flying a small turboprop around for a local company? And due to the retirement bubble coming the odds of being one of the successful guys is better now than it has been for the last 15 years.


7) What do you do while you are flying? Are you constantly sharp and checking your dashboard or is it ok to relax a little by listening to music?



7. Music is an option on long haul flights overwater. Instead of having to listen to the ATC radios you call them at specific points and times. Domestically it's impossible. Some guys have the headsets that stop the music when ATC talks but I have to think that must be brutal to listen too with the amount of radio chatter that's out there. So music listeners aren't common. You can relax but there's minor stuff going on. Guys take breaks and read something at times, do a crossword puzzle, Sudoku, or talk about their interests or hobbies. Lots of sharp coworkers so learning their areas of interest/expertise can be enlightening.

8) Why did you become a pilot and what pushed you to investigate a career in aviation?



8. Dad was a pilot. He flew gliders in the summer when I was a kid. Took me up. I enjoyed it. He mentioned glider summer course. I took it. Paralyzing fear on the first flight, learned to overcome it. Did nothing with flying for two years then took standard H.S. career tests. Guidance officer said "ever think of being a pilot?" Dad came home from a trip and I told him I was looking into Embry-Riddle. Surprised the heck out of him since he didn't know I knew ERAU existed. The more I got into it the more I enjoyed the profession, even at the bottom end starting out humping bags in the rain.

9) Do you regret becoming a pilot? If you were to go back in time, would you still want to become a pilot when you get older?



9. Is that a trick question? Regrets? No. I wouldn't trade my career for another one.

10) What were some of the biggest surprises (good and bad) that you encountered as an airline pilot?



10. You'll have to overcome fear. If you can't get past that you'll struggle. Spins, upside down, G's, winch tows, confidence maneuvers (70 degrees nose high and run the airplane out of airspeed until it stalls and flops around like a flounder duck), negative G's, diving at the ground (fighters), the speed of jets(yup, some guys quit, or go back to slower a/c), overheard patterns in the T-38(plane's chattering due to airflow separation....ie, it's talking to you), formation flight, etc, etc, are all momentums that give various people pause.



The upside? The quality of your coworkers. Lots of really good professionals you'll work with. Another upside - seeing the world from 35,000. The views can be amazing. Or seeing the world from 100'. Or 50'. Or 20'. OK, I'm lying, at 20' you're not taking in the view. You're watching your nose position because a slight dip could ruin your day, fast! And the views can be amazing, especially over sailboats. ;-)

11) What recommendations would you give to a 16 year old to help him become a pilot if he hasn't had any experience flying a plane?



11. Get airborne. It's different. And at times harder than people realize. If it was super easy everyone would do it. Niece was super achiever in H.S. and college. In shape. Went to UPT. Lost 10-15 lbs due to stress. "Hardest thing I've done in my life."



11. Since the longest time line event you're have to achieve prior to being a viable candidate for a major job is your total flight time, if I was joining the game today, I'd focus on getting my pilot licenses first. Take college courses in H.S. AP courses and test out and get college credit. Then go to pilot puppy mill school and get your licenses in 180 days. You'd be 19 yrs old, or even 18, and flying for a living. Then do college part time/online while working full time. Get on the time line of having your four year degree ASAP. Do 2-3 courses year-round and you'll achieve it in under 5 yrs. At 1500 hrs you'll get on with a regional airline. On this time line you'd be about 21 yrs old. With the right effort, timing, and luck, you could be looking at upgrading at the regional about the same time you get your college degree and 5,000 hrs TT. That professional resume, and the focus that you bring to yourself to achieve those goals, will position you to get hired in your mid to late 20's at a major airline due to the current retirement bubble.

Thanks you so much for your answers, you don't know how much these answers will help! Happy holidays and sorry that this post was so long![/QUOTE]


Congratulations on your interest. Good luck on trying to align desires with the effort needed. Lots of people achieve their goals but there's also a lot of people who don't. Part of maturing is achieving goals realistic to your own personal drive and abilities.


Oh, don't be stupid. Drugs, DWI, etc, etc. It's just a bad idea. What many of us did growing up is just unacceptable in today's society. If you think it will be a good story at an interview go ahead and do it. If you don't think it will be a good story at an interview...stop. Wise instructor at AA always said "start at the hearing and work backwards."

Are you medical school material?

You will find a lot of suggestions and opinion regarding aviation, both as a hobby (love) and vocation on this and other aviation forums and websites. Read, ask and learn.

I would suggest besides spending your hard saved (grassing cutting??) money or mom and dad's generosity, that you just spent time at your local airport. If you have options as to which one near you, smaller is better, but busy (as in small plane) is even better. Ask what positions might be available as far as work (don't hold your breath that you'll get anything, but show interest and try), other than that, bum around. The lounge of the flight school, the front desk where the transit flights come through, if allowed, walk around the flight line/hangers. Ask questions, show interest and pilots/owners will be happy to show you their plane. Don't expect a ride but then again, if you spent enough time and meet the same people over and over, things will happen. ;)

All this will cost you nothing but your time and interest and could help you decide if you want to further pursue flying in the future.

Go to work at the local airport as a "line boy"; that made my start right.

Your timing is perfect, when you acquire the college degree, the license, the experience; the current hiring boom will be winding down and you'll be on the leading edge of the next decade of stagnation--the '70s, then the 00's, next up the late '20s to '30s. That's a feature, not a bug, in any seniority-based system. My father was right--being an airline pilot is a lot about luck like being a pro ball player.

GF

Thank you SilverandSore for your information. For colleges, would you recomend something like ATP flight school on the side and how much time would that usually take out of my schedule? Thanks.

Thanks Lobaeux, I looked into the military route and while it is appealing, I don't want to risk not being selected as a pilot. I also talked to my parents about that and they are completely against it because of the risk. Thanks for your insight on the military route though!

Good point FirstClass. When I was exploring other professions, I always had a fall back plan but I didn't think of it for aviation! Thank you so much!

At your age, you really ought to look at a ANG or AFRC pilot training slot--it's the easiest way to slide into an airline career and serve your country. The networking, training and experience will be invaluable, absolutely no price can be put on it. Don't worry about not getting a UPT position, if you don't you will be discharged. By going to a UE unit you can select your mission and plane, too. Yes, the unit mission can change, but much of the turmoil is winding down. My old unit is already slated for KC-46s. Parents can have an opinion, but it's your life.

As to risk, life is full of it especially if you fly. You need to confirm your medical in any case.

An example of networking, when EAL folded in '89; a couple of phone calls and I had a new career. When military retirement was coming, a phone call to a former squadron member, I had a job flying a Global.

GF

Thanks Gypsy Pilot! First I want to ask: Is a line holder a pilot that creates or choses that schedule they want to fly, and how much seniority do you need to be a line holder?
Thanks for your reply and I am a little confused about the medical part of the job. I had a hard time finding the medical requirements and what a typical medical exam is for pilots (I looked at 14 CFR Part 67 and couldn't really understand it.) it just like a physical or is it more than that? Thanks for your answers!

Thanks for your reply YAKflyer (I like your name by the way because one of my freinds nickname is Yak, lol. )So would you recommend me get my EKG before I go to college and begin flight school?

Thanks Sliceback! You said if I went to college part time and flew at the same time I could get around 5,000 hours when I turn 25. Would I get that experience through being a flight instructor or would I work for a regional airline? Thanks for your reply!

Thanks TwinkiePilot, how many flight hours were you able to build up at Riddle and how many did you need to become a regional flyer? Thank you for your insight!

Thanks SkywardAZ! For my PPL, would is it necessary to finish my 40 hours or is it ok just to get a head start on it before college?

Thanks sourdough44! About the private pilot license, is that enough to jumpstart my career in aviation?

Congratulations on your interest. Good luck on trying to align desires with the effort needed. Lots of people achieve their goals but there's also a lot of people who don't. Part of maturing is achieving goals realistic to your own personal drive and abilities.


Oh, don't be stupid. Drugs, DWI, etc, etc. It's just a bad idea. What many of us did growing up is just unacceptable in today's society. If you think it will be a good story at an interview go ahead and do it. If you don't think it will be a good story at an interview...stop. Wise instructor at AA always said "start at the hearing and work backwards."[/QUOTE]
Thanks Sliceback for another reply! I have some additional questions that I wrote down. The numbers correspond to your answers
#4 On layovers, what is the minimum time?

#7 Do you often run into people again on another flight? Can you put any input on who you want to fly with or is it up to chance?

#10 are confidence maneuvers a required part of flight training?
-I remember when I was flying into Barcelona over the summer and we flew over the port, it is something I will never forget. Also, when making landings in places like San Fransisco where the runway goes out into the bay, are those landings/takeoffs extra difficult and do they require any extra precaution?

#11 When I am flying before a regional airline, would I be working as a flight instructor?

Hahaha I was thinking about it for some time but flying sounds a lot more fun than 12 years of getting an hour of sleep each night :-)

Thanks for the input. I never really thought about it that way and this could be a good jumpstart to networking (which i hear is extremely important.) I guess my local airport will be the new place to hang (lol)

Thanks a lot galaxy flyer. What is a line boy and what licenses do you need to be one?

I will definitely look into the military side more now. I didn't realize you will be discharged if you don't get your position. This seems like a really viable option now. How many hours did you build up when you were in the Air Force? Is that a normal number of hours? Also, before the Air Force, did you have to go through training and how long did it take? Also, did you need a college degree specific to aviation and will the Air Force pay for it?

Now called a "line technician", fancy for the guy that fuels small planes, washes and cleans, helps the mechanics, does scheduling--all around guy. Don't go to the big airline airport, find one with a small flight school, maybe a rich guy with a Bonanza or the local airline pilot hangs out. With luck you might get some cheap flying. No license required.

Just get a degree, "rush" the unit of your choice, more than one is fine--I did three in the Northeast. State ANG do offer tuition assistance to members, if you enlist. You don't need to do so, I didn't, neither did the 15 or so guys and gals I sent to UPT. Some were unit enlisted flight crew, though. It's a long career, you Wong fix it in weeks or months.

No prior training other than OCS for 12 weeks nowadays. You will need some flight time to be selected, but some unit slots have been going begging.
GF

I'm a little chary of the "college as back-up plan" idea. Just having a degree means not much in the real world. Say you get a degree in accounting, 10 years later you're a furloughed pilot, guess what, no one is going to hire you as an accountant--no current experience. You must be practical here. The degree teaches you to think, not a trade.

Believe me, in the mid-70s, going military was my last thought until I looked into and had a friend helping. It's evolved over the years but still the best deal. I had 5 students in UPT when I retired 10 years ago, I think all of them are at legacies now. Three others are at UPS.


GF

I don't think anyone mentioned Civil Air Patrol. This and JROTC are great introductory to military life. And you can network through CAP while having fun. Save money on your degree bu busting your butt and doing AP courses and or CLEP.

That is an example of about the fastest you could advance. It takes a lot of effort and timing. Possible, but you need to realize it's not the normal pace.

Yes, licenses, CFI, regional. My buddy's son just did that - a year to get his ratings, another 18 months to get 1500 hrs and hired by a regional. He could have been a little faster than a year getting his ratings but changed schools. Even on his timeline you could graduate in 1.5 - 2.5 yrs(depending upon what grade you're in), spend 6-12 months getting your ratings, another 18 months getting to 1500 hrs to get on with a regional. So you're realistic looking at about 2.5 yrs from start of training to regional job.

In flight school you can't do college courses. Your focus should be on learning the flight and ground requirements. But with advance work, and AP testing out(?), you could have some college requirements done. The 18 months getting up to 1500 hrs could include college courses (2-3 semester, year round, 3 is better). About 40 courses gets you a degree. That's five years at 8 courses/year.

So 18th year is flight school.
19th is working towards 1500 hrs and starting college courses. That means graduating at 24 yrs old with a degree (8 courses/year).
Achieve 1500 hrs at 21? Get a regional job? Get 3500 hrs in 4 years (900/hr average) at the regional, for a total of 5,000 hrs TT, and you're at 25 yrs old, four year degree, and starting fifth year pay/longevity at the regional. By then that might mean an upgrade to Captain.

This is a hard time line to achieve. It won't be easy.

If you're at an airline with a guaranteed flow through agreement to a major airline you could join the ANG during that time and attend the USAF training. You'd keep your seniority (and your flow through date/number??). That's an aggressive but achievable goal. And wearing the uniform of your country, and supporting the ground troops in any capacity, is something to always be proud of.

Flying has risk. All of it has risk, especially when you're building time and experience. You can't avoid that. Getting good training, like the military provides, should reduce your overall risk over the length of your career.

Everybody else has nailed most of it, so I'll just toss in a few of my observations.

Do you want to do this more than anything else in the world???
You need to, really, it takes a helluva lot of comittment to get here. The attrition is really, really high.

(I never wanted to do anything else and it took me a while.)

If you're rich, or willing, the four year aviation schools are fine, but it's too much money, and the degree isn't useful for anything else if you lose your medical, IMHO.

(I recently flew with a new FO, (great kid, he'll go far), who was raised by a single mom and had to take out loans for all of his flight training/degree at ERAU. Want to guess his debt? $173,000-!!!! So, it can be done, but it might financially kill you in the attempt.)

Go to a community college for two years, then transfer to a four-year school. You can get all the basic stuff out of the way and save a lot. 'Cause airplanes are expensive.
Alternately, consider enlisting in the service for a few years. The USAF (or Navy) can put you on airplanes and some of the educational benefits, (GI bill), are great. I could've done a couple of years active duty considering all the time I spent dicking around trying to get things going. As it stands, I retired after 21+ years in the Guard, and they helped pay for some of my schooling. (You should already know if this interests you or not. The military lifestyle is not for everyone.)

As has been mentioned, if there's a small airport nearby, go get a job as lineservice. The pay isn't great, but that's not the reason to do it. It's the best basic all-around aviation education you can get. You'll learn about everything to do with airplanes. I got rides that way, my first multi time, was shown things by airline guys on their days off, sat right seat on charters, you name it...

It's the best job in the world.
And it's the worst job in the world...

(Allow me to mention my Thanksgiving dinner last month. It was: two cans of beer, a bag of Cheetos, some nuts, and a day-old ham and cheese sandwich. From the gas station on the side of the interstate. Everything else fell through. On the flip side, tomorrow I'm buying Christmas dinner at our posh hotel for our crew @ $60- a plate. Four courses, swordfish, prime rib, etc... Should be good.)

It's terrible for people that want a normal, 9 to 5 life. It's often hell on relationships, and the divorce rate is pretty high. (Choose wisely.)
But on the flip side, I get to do and see things that most people can't even imagine. Within limits, I have no boss. The company expects me to show up on time, and bring the airplane back after several days in one piece.
No one is checking on my progress, asking for paperwork, having conference calls or meetings, nada. We are effectively autonomous. Our sense of freedom is immense. The world is literally my office...

Do this: go buy a book that just came out this year. It's called "Skyfaring" by a guy named Mark Vanhoenacker. He's a guy flying long-haul for British Airways I believe. There are some meditations on flight that probably won't be germane or interest you, but it'll give you a good idea about what some of the aspects of our lives are like. Written for a general audience, it's pretty good.

Good luck. Whatever you do, don't do it for the money, that's just gravy, (remember, they don't give you anything for free).
Do it because you want to, more than anything else.

Answers -

4. Basically about 10-12 hrs. Being at the absolute minimum typically isn't build into the schedule because a slight delay inbound generates a delayed start the next morning. The overall goal is to restart the day as close to 100% as possible and naturally it decays somewhat during the day due to reality of moving complex machines across the world dealing with Mother Nature.

7. It depends. Some guys you see multiple times in a month if you're on the same schedule and don't trade your trips around. Or you'll fall into a pattern of bidding the same trips month after month. Once I flew four of seven months with the same FO. Thankfully he retired in the 8th month...
Or you might have the same schedule for a month and both of you trade away enough trips so that you never fly with each other. Had that with a friend, scheduled to fly three months, two back to back, and a third month four months later. We never flew together until we both traded for the same trip in the fifth month.

If you're in a small bid status, with perhaps only 15 CA's and 15 FO's, you'll fly with the same guys all the time. If you're in a bid status of 500 guys in each seat you might not see the same guy for months or years.

10. In the USAF it's a requirement. I called it the 'scare the ****z out of the student maneuver' until I got to like it.

11. That is the typical career progression - CFI then regional FO. But there are other ways to get the 1500 hrs. Banner towing(lots of flight time each month), sight seeing rides, pipe line inspection, etc. But CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) is probably the most common.

In a word yes. What you want to make sure is you do not have a medical issue that would be disqualifying before you invest a lot of money and effort. If you went to an Aviation Medical Examiner (a civilian doctor certified by the FAA to give flight physicals) and explained the reason you want a physical, the two of you can decide what tests to run to make sure there is not an existing condition that could disqualify you in the future. At the very minimum I would do an EKG. Additionally, the AME will be able to issue you a Student Pilot License at the same time.

I am happy you like my name. The reason I use that name is that I used to own a Yak-52.

This! I know few pilots who had the career they planned--bankruptcies, divorces, moves, military contingencies, life--changed everything, but few would change a thing. I flew night checks, freight, fighters, airline (EAL), C-5s in 3 wars, now back to corporate, not a bit of it was what I thought would happen at your age.

GF

Hanging out at the local airport, or working there, is a great way to start making contacts and being around pilots. You'll learn some good, some bad, just by listening or being given opportunities that pop up.

very well thought out questions! The path will never be clear, you'll almost always have to consult other people for advice on the next step but ultimately make your own decision. You'll likely have to keep asking other people how it works for the next ten years. One more thing, if you aren't on duty, NEVER EVER pick up your phone. Let it go to voicemail then call back if you feel like going to do whatever they want.