Need career advice!
 

So I just started college, and I'm not 100% sure of what exactly the steps are to become an major airline pilot. At this moment, I will be working towards getting a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science/Computer Science and Engineering. After I acquire the degree, what is the next step? Do I attend a flight school like ATP?

Another option is military pilot training. I chose that, and would do so again today. :)

You have a few choices you just have to decide the best route for you. Do you have any hours in the logbook yet? If not start by visiting your local flight school for 5-10 hours of training and a maybe even a solo.

If you still like it, pick from one of 3 paths: 1.) finish bachelors then go to ATP, instruct a while and then to a regional 2.) Do Air Force ROTC and they will likely pay for your private and then train you to fly jets and give you a job when you graduate. This is a quick route to the majors because you can start flying before you graduate, I think, and you will get great training for free and will not have to have as many hours to get an interview with a major. (Talk with an expert on this to make sure your odds of being accepted for flight training are high.....I think after college the Air National Guard will guarantee this before you join not sure about the Air Force.). 3.) Transfer next semester to a aviation college near you and learn to fly while in school....2 birds with one stone so to speak.

There are other routes but thinking about these will get you started and are probably the fastest. Good luck!

The National Guard will absolutely not guarantee you pilot training. If you apply, are selected to board, are then selected by the board, pass an initial class 1 flying physical, get orders and find yourself sitting in the Martin Baker for the first time....then it is guaranteed that you are in fact, in USAF UPT. Don't listen to any recruiters. If you are interested in the military route, there are lots of ways to do it if you are qualified. The info is out there on this and other more specific message boards. Honestly though, if military aviation is not your primary interest.....Then get the degree and go to a flight school, instruct for a while, then off you go (hopefully) Good luck!

Thank you all for the replies, I definitely would consider military training/aviation, but I heard that the commitment was a very long time. Something like 10 years? As for getting a degree and then attending a flight school after, do you have any recommendations on which one? Heard many people saying that ATP was a waste of time and money. They said that they didn't really care about your training or something. :confused:

You only get out of something what you put into it!

GF

1. Want to be an airline pilot? Don't go active duty military to fly if you can afford to pay for the civilian training.

2. Are you self motivated? Don't need your hand held? Set goals and achieve them? I'd recommend going to a full time flight school ASAP. Quit full time college. Spend a year as a CFI, get hired by an American Airlines regional airline that has a flow through agreement, and do the college part time, year round, while you're flying as a pilot.

If you envision age 25 choosing college then flying vs flying then college when you're 25 the college first guy with have a degree and be the FO to the guy who choose flying first and finished college part time. Both 25, both with degrees, one CA, one FO, and the CA will flow to American Airlines several sooner.

It's an option to consider.

Yeah. Then get married, have a kid or two, and put college on ice because you no longer have time. Then you can be one of the guys in the Major's thread asking "does Delta hire guys without a degree?.....My cousin's friend's uncle got hired at United without one!"

Yeah I think I would prefer to finish college with the degree now instead of later. So correct me if I'm wrong, but after college, there are two routes right? CFI or flight school? Is there a benefit for either one? And which flight schools?

Serious question - how much would someone have to pay you to choose the flying route first?

$10,000
$25,000
$50,000
$100,000
$250,000
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000

This is like Demi Moore and Robert Redford, there's a number that you'd listen to.

Or if you can say no to money what if someone offered you, free of charge with no consequences, time off with pay, like $100,000 a year after all your debt has been paid off if you would choose the flying program and do college on the side? Would you accept three months? Six months? A year? Two years? Four years?

I'm not trying to be flippant, I'm trying to see what value you'd want to change your mind.