7thgear

Basically, I've established for sure that flying is something I am dedicating my life to. I currently work for UPS and would like to fly for them one day. Here are the steps I have planned to meet that goal. I would appreciate it if someone can find any mistakes that I am making with this path.

-Take 1 year of college at a local community college
-Transfer to Souther Illinois University
-Finish last 3 years and finish with Bachelors in Aviation Management
-Apply for, and finish, 1 year internship at UPS before I graduate
-Join military to build up flight hours/Become an instructor to build up flight hours
-Apply for position at UPS

Souther Illinois University will of coarse provide me with all my certificates and ratings, but they can't help you build your hours unless you become an instructor for them after graduating. They also offer a paid 1 year internship at UPS once you finish all your classes required for bachelors degree. I spoke with an aviation manager and flight instructor from that university and was told that, "if you complete this internship and build up the required flight hours you will be put at the top of their candidate pool."

Questions:

1. Are there any suggestions to improve my plan?

2. Which coarse is the best to build up my hours?

3. How accurate is the universities instructor's statement?

P.S. For those of you who are anxious to help because I'm your competiton, RELAX, I won't actually be able to apply for a position at UPS for another 7 years or so. Haha.

Trash Hauler 1

Its good to have a plan and yours has most of all the elements correct. I can save you a bunch of bucks. Rather than getting your ratings from Carbondale, talk to a recruiter about an AFROTC scholarship. Get your degree in aviation management and enter the AF as a 2LT Reservist affiliated with a flying unit. Preferably a unit flying heavy equipment. You'll go to pilot training on a paid basis (instead of paying for your ratings). When you complete pilot training, you'll go on active duty for about a year with your unit and will fly your butt off. After about 1200 hours (less than 2 years) if you have skills, you'll upgrade to aircraft commander and start logging PIC turbine. After your active duty committment is up, you'll still fly regularly with your unit, building time, while your off-time can be used to work on getting that UPS internship. Just a coupla thoughts from and old fart AF guy. Good luck!!

TH1

de727ups

"if you complete this internship and build up the required flight hours you will be put at the top of their candidate pool."

Have him give you a list of former interns that got hired at UPS or something in writing from UPS to back up his claims. I've never heard of special treatment for former interns. I wouldn't think being a former intern would be anything more than a positive subject to speak of at the interview, nor do I think it will help you skip any of the other steps to get on at UPS.

Freightpuppy

Good idea! I know a former UPS intern and he said the only advantage is that you make contacts.

I went to an aviation college but I got a degree in nursing. At one point, dealing with all the catty women got to be too much, I got frustrated and I went to the aviation department to talk to them about switching my major. The guy actually told me "You should definitely change your major to aviation. Getting a nursing degree may actually hurt you trying to get a pilot job." HELLO????? I am airheaded sometimes but not completely stupid! Moral of the story? THESE PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING TO GET YOU TO SIGN UP FOR THAT WORTHLESS AVIATION DEGREE!!! Thankfully, I didn't listen and finished my BSN. My experience with nursing has been that: 1. I made a ton of extra cash part time 2. It got me through regional pay and first year at UPS 3. If I ever lose my medical or my job, I have something I can go do to make money. If anything, I think my nursing degree made me stand out when interviewing at companies. I always got a positive response from recruiters/interviewers. If anything, it helped rather than hurt me.

In addition, I agree with Trash Hauler except the Aviation Management degree part. I would get a degree in something else so you have something to fall back on. IMO, a degree in aviation is a HUGE waste of money. You need a 4 year degree and it doesn't matter what it is in so you might as well get one in something useful. I don't think I have EVER talked to ANYONE with a degree in aviation that didn't say it was a waste.

Also, whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT get suckered into these pilot mill schools. You know, the "fly an RJ in one year" schools. They completely rape you! You don't need to go through one of these schools to get a job. You'll find yourself over $100K in debt making $20K a year as a regional FO and pi$$ed at the world. What a way to start out, eh?

Good luck!

7thgear

Freightpuppy- How would you recommend getting my ratings/certificates/hours if I pursue a degree in something other than aviation? I wont step foot into an airlplane for another 4 years if I go this route.

Trash Hauler- Souther Illinois University will not allow me get a BS in Aviation unless I get all my training there. Otherwise your idea sounds terrific. I might take Freightpuppys idea and combine it with yours.

I'll get to the bottom of this Internship deal. I also remember the manager/flight instructor told me that as an intern, I will not be working in the flight department. This raised a red flag to me because other than making contacts in the company, if your not gaining experience in the flight department, how can that help you get hired in the flight department as a pilot? I contacted the UPS airport in Louisville and left a voice mail for Buzz Thompson regarding this internship deal. I guess he's one of the guys that does the hiring of pilots.

So, if this internship deal gets blown out of the water, I may not take this route after all. You all seemed to hit it right on the nose when you say to get a degree to fall back on, and get in the military to get certifications/hours. I'm very grateful for this information. I will post back as soon as I hear from Buzz Thompson, and I will let you guys know what he has to say about the matter.

7thgear

Last posted minimums:
1500 TT
1000 PIC jet and/or ME turboprop
ATP or ATPw (current)
FE or FEw (current)
Bachelor's degree "preferred"
Transoceanic crossing experience as either PIC or SIC

Those are the minimum requirements right off of this website. What do ATP, ATPw, FE, and FEw stand for? And what's the best way to get transoceanic crossing experience?

Swedish Blender

ATP= Airline Transport Pilot
FE= Flight Engineer
w=written

More to the point, if you're really looking into flying as a career, how do you not know what an ATP is? Have you done research or is it just something that seems cool?

What Trash Hauler said is good stuff. If you go the AF route, you will get all your ratings in the service and will not need to go through an aviation program.

de727ups

"And what's the best way to get transoceanic crossing experience?"

Military or work for another airline that does this sort of flying. UPS is hiring a lot of guys from other major airlines who are VERY well qualified, to include overwater experience.

Chando

I earned all of my ratings at the local flight school in my home town. Compared to some of the big aviation schools, it was a fraction of the price for the exact same ratings. Might be something to check into.

Ranger

Why would you not fly for another four years? Look, I know that this all seems overwhelming, but it is doable. First, I'll openly admit that I'm an old guy. I'm getting close to retirement. But I did what you want to do when I first started my run at the airlines. On accident, by the way. I wanted to be an army helicopter pilot when I started flying. But I went to school full time and at one point in time held down 4 part time jobs to make it all work. And I flew. I flew a lot.

How bad do you want it?