TBH, almost not at all. If you're at a school that has ample supply of students** (big caveat there) you should be able to average 2-3 flights per day 5 days a week (bad weather days you may need to come in a 6th day to keep your averages up!)


15 flights a week >> 60 flights a month >> avg. 2 hours per training flight >> 120 hours per month.....this isn't fun, but it's totally doable.


So with that math, you're talking about 2 months for 250 hours.


Question: Are you planning to do this full time? Or are you training part time?


With TCC or Liberty, when can you start instructing? Only after you've graduated? If so it's going to take you 2-4 years just to get through school. Then ~18 months to get to 1500 hours. So total time 42-66 months zero to hero?

If you went to a non-university 141 school full time (still use your VA benefits) and you would be a CFI/CFII inside of 1 year, and then have your 1500 hours in another 18 months. So, zero to hero in 30 months.

Non-university 141 program part-time--might take you 18 months for training plus 18 months instructing/time build....so 36 months.


Then down the road, do an online degree program while you're sitting reserve at the regional airline.

Yes to doing this full time. Here is the downside to using VA benefits at a 141 non university, you can only then receive 13k a year towards flight training. That would mean basically one rating a year, that doesn’t seem real feasible to me and I would also not receive any MAH if I went that route. The MAH alone would be 1k a month just for going the university route.


My main goal has always been start this year at 39 years old, 40 in September, and have all ratings by 42. Tbh I’m not sure I’ll want to be a CFI, and I honesty would have no issue renting a plane and flying it. I know that’s not the preferred route. However, like many have said right now these seem to be unforeseen times. Honestly, while going to school I could use the 1k a month from MAH to rent a plane and fly even if that’s only 10 hours extra a month for 2 years.

Even if you don’t intend to work as a CFI per se it’s a very useful rating to have and you certainly learn a lot while doing it.
Get all three instructor ratings just as a matter of training and improving your skills.
That should all be covered by the GI Bill.

It all comes down to your goals. If you want to be at a 121 airline ASAP you need to be a flight instructor. There's just no other fast way to build time.

In reality, I don't see a lot of people towing banners or dumping skydivers. There just aren't a lot of those jobs. You could more likely be able to get on some sort of 135 operation, but folks that go that route are always very disappointed with the amount of flying they're getting. Hitting 500 hours per year is a big feat for most 135 operations. I have a friend that flies aerial survey right now...a "good month" for him is flying 20 hours.

So, if it takes you 2 years at TCC to get your ratings, you rent a 150 10 hours a month...then at the end of your training you're going to be at around 490 hours. Call it 500 if you get your CFI/CFII ratings.

The question becomes how quickly can you get the remaining 750 hours to get to the airline?

- 135 operation - ~1-3 years
- CFI - ~6-9 months

Another motivational way I used to think about this: every month that I'm *not* an airline pilot is one less month of captain pay at the end of my career. So if I'm making ~$30k a month when I am 64 years and 11 months old....that's what one month costs me today.