Freightpuppy

I WOULD NOT, I REPEAT, NOT, NO WAY IN HELL, ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE, BELIEVE THAT SIU PERSON!!!! In my experience, what someone working at a university tells you is very different from real life. Read my first post again.

First off, my fiancee went to SIU and he is telling me as I write that the internship is the only paid one (at least when he was there 8 years ago it was the only paid one) so everyone applies for it. So, my point is is that it's extremely competitive. So, in other words, you will go to SIU just to do that internship, pay waaaayyyyy too much for flight training and get a worthless aviation degree just to have a CHANCE for an internship with UPS that only one person gets that doesn't guarantee anything. Even if you get the internship, you will still have to get all your hours and experience (meaning competitive hours and experience). My fiancee also said that he wanted to apply for the internship when he was there but it wasn't available at the time because they already had someone doing it. So, it's not even available all the time. It's important to make contacts but you will do that when moving up through the regionals, military or whatever route you choose to take. Whatever you do, DON'T BELIEVE the people at the university. A lot of them are either inexperienced with the real world or like salesmen. Think about it.....they are going to make a TON of money off of you.....they are telling you what you want to hear and what will make you sign up for their program. Take it from someone with experience in this area. Good Luck!

Trash Hauler 1

Ref the mil route. Buzz is partly correct. If you go the active duty route, (not recommended) it is indeed a long commitment. If you go the Reserve or Guard route, you only have a 1 year active flying commitment. After that you are required to do the usual 15 days a year plus 1 wknd a month. That will vary greatly from unit to unit. From my experience/observation, newbies are getting a buttload of flying time, especially in the tanker and C-130 communities. On top of the relatively quick move to the left seat (1000-1300) hours, you will be paid a living wage instead of having to eat Beans and Wienies twice a day. With today's OPTEMPO, 800 hours a year of heavy time is definitely doable. Do yourself a favor and call a Reserve recruiter associated with a flying unit and get it right from the horse's mouth. Feel free to PM me if you want.

TH1

Freightpuppy

I was never in the military but I looked into it when I was 19. I was looking at going active duty but I didn't want to do the full committment. I wish I was told about the reserves. Anyways, I do think TrashHauler has good ideas. In reference to going the civilian route, what TH wrote above is another reason to get a degree in something other than aviation. I was able to work part time to supplement the crap pay you have to deal with through the regionals and first year at many airlines and I never had to eat beans and wienies or Ramen noodles for that matter!

⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

I tried the reserve thing but was just a tad too old ~27 1/2. They filled out a waiver form for me but this was at a time Clinton thought our military was too large... Oh well, things worked out anyways, but I always wonder how I’d have liked it…

7th gear (what kind of car you drivin’ anyways?)

- Buz T is the man! – he did my interview and he’s a straight shooter – what he told you is what you need to go by - disregard the internship coordinator because obviously she’s wrong.

Personally, I think you focus a little too much on this internship because I think turbine PIC time and heavy transoceanic experience will get you an interview much sooner than this internship. However, if you truly want to apply for it you can always attend a smaller aviation university and then just make sure your flight school sets up this internship with UPS. While I was in school I wasn’t even aware of this program but I heard it is a great internship. For one you get paid - which is almost unheard of (co-op is a more appropriate term I guess). Also, the people you’ll be working with will be the very same people who’ll be interviewing you several years down the road.

Not sure where you live but about 5 months ago I helped my former university - MTSU - Middle Tennessee State Univ. to re-apply for this co-op. (sorry about their corny website, and yes it is a Fedex 727 ). They’d applied for the co-op many years prior however for some reason it was never advertised on campus; the people in charge of it at the time of the approval were gone and no one even knew it existed; also all phone and fax numbers were incorrect. Anyways, the internship is up and running now so if you live near TN maybe this could be an option for you?

I’m sorry I’m plugging for my former school here but you're trying to save money and if you live in one of the bordering states you’d be able to use the Common Market “in-state-tuition” benefits which is a great money saver. Honestly, I’ve no idea how much in-state tuition costs nowadays but I’m certain it’s much less than at Purdue, Riddle, UND, etc.

I want to emphasize however that this internship is not a guarantee to a job. You still need the minimums no matter what; turbine PIC time and transoceanic experience (at least for now). Good luck to you, I am impressed with the research you’re doing before spending the big bucks.

Divergcm

Another thing to consider is military commitment. I have no idea how long they will make you sign on the dotted line for.

But the civilian route usually get you to an airline a little quicker. Not always and definitely not cheaper.

The guys from the regional's in my new hire class at UPS in 1998 we on average 8-10 years younger then the military guys.

We all flew just as well as the next person it was just an age thing.

I was 28 and there were 2 guys a few months younger then me.

My perspective on the airline industry is the younger the better..

Good luck

⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

I don't think this holds true anymore. In my class, the civilian guys were definitely the same age if not older than the military guys. I guess many civilian guys nowadays are furloughed from their previous airlines and many have years of flying at their previous legacy airlines behind them...

bustinmins

I'd look into Louisiana Tech's Department of Professional Aviation. They also have an aviation management degree program as well. In the past, the AFROTC program at La. Tech has put more people into the USAF than any other school with the sole exception of the USAF Academy. The aviation student base is well networked and the alumni return once a year to mentor you and answer your questions. If you are worth your salt and you give back to the program, I'm sure you'd have some good recommendations from their alumni by the end of your tour.

At least it is another option to consider....have a good ride and best of luck in your career.

Flaps50

If you are going to be looking into the Guard/Reserves anyway after your degree, I would join ASAP as an enlisted member while you are going to college. They will likely pay for your college, and give you rank and time in grade that will help you towards retirement, pay and benefits later when you make the switch to becoming an officer for the pilot gig. Plus it will help you be taken seriously when you apply for a pilot slot.

If you are in this career field for the long haul you may change your mind to another airline someday too before you get that final job. So make sure you go into with the intention of getting that experience required at most quality airlines. I know people that did the minimums, and got hired at United back in the day to find themselves on the street furloughed without enough PIC experience to find quality work as a pilot years later.