19 year old son wants to fly
 

Son, 19 and in excellent health and at leading regional university, is considering a flying career. Training through multi-engine/instrument will be expensive, as we all know. Military flight training is a feast or famine crap shoot.

Given turbulence in the airline industry, fuel prices, economic sine wave, age 65 retirement age, projected shortage of pilots, relative shortfall of military training, and other variables, what is the collective wisdom that you all can offer?

What are the short, medium, and longterm prospects for someone of this age?

How best to proceed? Not to proceed?

If he wants a "lying" career, tell him to go into politics. How far someone is able to go into politics is directly proportional to how good of a liar he/she is.

It depends on just how serious he is about his consideration of an aviation career. This is a avocation, not a job...it requires a certain 'fire in the belly'.

Assuming he has this, my choice would be to pursue a military flying slot. It's the best training available...and it's free. Of course, there's the commitment...but everything has a price, and the commitment is the military's pound of flesh.

The best of both worlds is to join an Air National Guard unit and have them send you to AF pilot training. Then return to the ANG unit to both a civilian job and a military flying opportunity.

The military experience will add a perspective on life that the civilian sector just can't provide.

HAHA wow wannabepilot that made me lol.:D

And vice versa... the civilian experience will add a perspective on life that the military just can't provide.

;)

If I had to do it all over again I am not sure I would do it. Maybe. But when I see folks at parties who are earning lots of money and are home every night I am pretty envious. They all say they wish they had become pilots. I have given up telling people who little we really earn because it hit home with very few.

I didn't get into this for money, and I love the flying and the continuous challenges of the job. But a proper payday would be nice.

Example - I was reading Money magazine and their was a profile of a couple earning $300K and how they could make their life more financially secure. $300K? And they're acting like that's barely enough?

Tell your son to pursue it if he likes, but also to have a degree in business or finance. Flying is great. So is being able to live better than paycheck to paycheck.

A lying career? Ohhhh... a lawyer. Yeah, law school is expensive.

I would have to agree with the forementioned..you HAVE to have a "fire in your belly" to fly..most of us have wanted this since childhood. My kids are very young, and i ponder there future..i get asked by co-workers all the time,"are ya gonna push your kids into flying?"...the down side for me is the time away from home..my wife is basically a single mom 4 days a week. HOWEVER....my job is SICK!!(well, it was, im starting at a major on tues. so no more seniority or left seat for a while) I feel like I have the best job in the world. There are many reasons to fly or not fly for an occupation..but the key is the desire. If you pursue this career for $$, good luck! you have to like what you do. oh yeah, the chicks dig the uniform!! j/k

My Granddad flew P-38's in WWII, my Great Uncle flew CH-46's in Vietnam, my Dad flew O-1 Bird dogs in Vietnam, I flew choppers (Desert Storm) and fixed wing in the Army, my wife flew fixed wing in the Army. I currently fly for Delta (the only one in my family to fly commercially). When people ask if I want one of my children to follow in the family footsteps I tell them H@ll no!

When I was 19, I asked many people the same questions....and I was told by everyone that the majors would be hiring for ever, I would be a captain in a few years, and life would be great.....this was before 9/11. If anyone had the ability to even come close to predicting the quality of an airline career they would be extremely rich. The point is, this is a business you have to get into because of one reason.....a love for flying. I personally love my job, and would have gone into aviation no matter what those people told me years ago.

The best advise I can offer your son is to be extremely selfish right now, and make the decision about his future based only on what will make him happy to get up and go to work everyday. This business is EXTREMELY difficult at times, and it can be a very hard road to get to the dream job.

Good luck to your son!
CS

I have a different perspective. I am a "second career" pilot having spent many years in a fortune 500 business and consulting career. I was laid off (position eliminated) three times during that career. I held a number of positions, and before leaving to pursue an airline career held a senior manager position with a large company. I only wish I had someone who would have asked this question 20 years ago and help me get started then. ALL careers can have their ups and downs. The most important thing he can do is pursue the career he has a passion for. If he truly loves to fly, then this is a great career. However, it will take a minimum of 7 to 10 years or more to earn that six figure salary at a major airline and he most likely will have some bumps on the road. The nice thing is he can start now (which he should) and pursue his college degree while he is training.

To start:
- regardless of his good health, go get a first class physical . Aviation medical examiners (MD's) can be found on www.faa.gov website. If he can't pass the physical, he can't play. It will cost about $75.

- if he hasn't done it, go to your local airport and take in introductory flight. It will cost about $100. It will be his first lesson.

If both of those go well, then it's time to consider how best to proceed, whether through the military or civilian route. At the moment, if he was to apply himself, has a great attitude, and is capable of being mature beyond his years, he could easily be flying for a regional airline in 18 months. He would not be a captain there until he turns 23, but if he gets started now that could happen the day he turns 23. Of course the shortage of regional airline pilots could change in this industry quickly as we've all seen.

Feel free to PM me if you would like further information.

Hi!

Right now, it's the best time in HISTORY to start a flying career.

ALL the jet manufacturers recorded their best two years in history for new orders.

China/India/Asia is booming like MAD, so even if there is a downturn in the US, it won't matter-there will still be a pilot shortage.

The numbers of commerical/ATP pilots in the US is now LESS than there were 5 years ago. More and more people want to fly in the US, the fractionals are growing, as are the VLJs and the air-taxi carriers.

I would NOT go active duty military-they don't fly very much, typically. I got 1500 hours in 6.5 years. If he wants to go mil, do the Guard route, where he can fly both mil and civilian.

There are more options now:
If he is a dual-citizen, and allowed to work overseas, he could try to get in an ab-initio program where the foreign carrier will pay for ALL of his flight training, and hire him before his first flight (like the military).

There are programs now where they will let you get your CFI for free if you agree to work as a CFI for a couple of years for the organiztion.

If you have a lot of $, you can do these:
Go to Embry-Riddle/UND (UND is better) and get your ratings and four year degree, OR
Go to one of the pilot training places that will get you from 0 time to all your ratings ASAP. It is expensive, but quick.

If you want to save $, and not do the CFI thing above, find a local FBO/flight school to get your ratings. If you ALSO want a two or four year degree, you can find one like that. For example, here in GRB, you can go to a -141 flight school that is hooked up the a 4 year college in Utah. You can live at home, fly in GRB, and do your classes via the internet.

The key is to get flying ASAP!!!

I would recommend a program where you can fly right away, and get your 4 year degree online while you are flying. Where I work, USA Jet Airlines, the company will pay 50% of your online schooling.

Good luck!

cliff
YIP

PS-The space-tourism thing is blasting off (hahahaha!) now, and there will also be a strong demand for space pilots. I'm not sure how to get the rating/training, but they'll figure it out!

Don't delay getting the 4 year degree, and avoid all debt possible.

I was 18 when I started. Wasn't sure what would happen, a year after 9/11.
Here is the way I look at it. You'll love flying or hate it. If you don't love it, dont do it. here is the way I look at it:

I think there will ALWAYS be a job for a pilot. How good that job is is the problem. I made up my mind when I was VERY young that this is what I wanted to do, and under an circumstances I will do it. My goals are be a CFI for a few years, fly for a small cargo operator or regional for a few, and go work for UPS. Is it going to happen like that? 98% NO, it will not. Accept the fact that in almost all cases it will not work out the way you plan, and live with it. That is my goal though. He will have to do something similar to that. I assume he wants to fly for a major one day, since thats most of our goals. guys on here know better than me, but I have been told competitive for a major job is about 4000TT, with quite a bit PIC jet time of that. At 19, I say goal wise shoot for early 30's until you reach that. If it does not work like that, then so be it. Accept that, and fly becuase you love it. I think with all the cost and sacrafice flying involves, be committed for a career in aviation no matter what. Some may disagree with me though. [email protected] if you want a young perspective. The advice and years of expirence on this website though is highly valuable, and your son should read through the info here often and decide if its what he wants.

Nice catch on my spelling boo boo! (and for stating the obvious in re politicians)

Otherwise, thanks to all respondents for their thoughtful advice.

Great info, totally agree.

Hey WEACLRS are you suggesting flying for a regional before finishing a 4 year degree? I am just asking because I have some pretty good connections at some regionals right now who are telling me to hurry up and get my hours in, but the catch is that I do not have a 4yr degree yet (I have a little over a year's worth of credit). It's something that I have thought about, but always considered it something that was almost impossible to do. Your thoughts?

If not, what are some recommended courses of action for completing flight training + college? Train during college? Train before college and CFI while taking classes? Etc? I'm looking for the quickest way to get into the game, hard work is fine with me I'm used to putting in some sweat.

I met a guy that quit his regional job in the last 6 months to go back and finish his degree, because he knew he wasn't going to do it if he kept flying. GET THE DEGREE!!!! If you can get all of your on-campus classes done, and can finish up with online courses, then maybe I'd leave college early, but otherwise, I'd sit tight.

Young man your enthusiasm is what you will need to get you through in a career like this. My 18 year old son got his private certificate just before his birthday. He will finish high school and go to a local Jr. college and work part time to pay for hour-building and other certificates . . He will then go to our state college and get his B.A. to be competitive. This is the most efficient course and least expensive. I don’t recommend anyone go to the major aviation colleges because of the considerable expense and single subject matter that you end up with after college. I have mentored more that a dozen guys in the past and feel free to write me or leave me a note.

Right, that makes plenty of sense. I have a good job right now anyway at least to get me through school.

how do you actually achieve a college degree and complete flight training without being in debt? Let me know because all my check is going into repaying both!

if he doesnt love it... i mean really have desire and love of airplanes, its a tough road. Its not just a job... well it could be I guess, but for many of those its a miserable job. Its not the profession...either on the military or civilian side that it once was..... I have done and both and am currently back on the civilian side.....YES its a sick addiction. this is a tough business either way, and the rewards from a personal perspective need to help offset the loads of BS that come with this industry. If he wants to fly just because he thinks its cool....... send him to medical school.

Well debt free pilots are either rich.... or went the military route.....