klintph

Eversince i was a child, my ultimate goal in life was to become an airline pilot.
Im 27,have a business administration degree ,plans to migrate in Canada, in Manitoba to be exact. Can anybody coach me on what to do? which flying school would you recommed? would greatly appreciate your answers

rheidorn

Im still geting in the industry myself. I only have a few hundred hours. However, I might be able to help a little. I would recomend going to a flight school that has part 141 teaching. This means it is syllabus based and more organized. Get your private pilot and see if you are still interested. Also there are some flight schools out there that are accelerated. Just go online and google search all this stuff. I know Mesa has some type of program and so do other regionals. However, you may not get hired by them. Good luck.

UConnQB14

im one of the more positive people on this forum, but here is my advice..
i am in the same situation almost, except i am 21 and have my instrument rating already... keep ur business job for now and train at a small flight school in your spare time, that way, you will be able to keep a paycheck and fly instrad of dropping everything for flying.... that paycheck and experience will prove invaluable in the long run, trust me. at 27, i think you are still young enough to do this, but financially it doesnt make sense, especially with your degree.. i am 21 and have a job lined up flying a Hawker for someone who is paying for my ratings, so things are a little different.. i want an airline job someday, but now isnt the time to be dropping my life for that...

in summary, find a small flight school, build some time while still keeping your job, and things will work out in the long run.. besides, you never know who you might meet at a small flight school.. i just happened to meet a guy who is neighbors with someone from Delta AirElite

atpwannabe

I agree with UConnQB14. Keep your day job and pay for the flying unless you've got some other financial resources to draw on, namely a benefactor or someone along those lines. Try to position yourself where what ever decisions you make, you are able to maximize the resources that become available as a result of making that decision.

Whatever you do, don't wait like I did . I'm 44 and just starting out. However, I'm not looking to become Senior Chief Pilot of Airline ABC. Give me a CRJ-200/700/900 with the possibility of getting on with FedEx (A-300's or 310's) later on down the road, and I'm alright. Everything is ok. Even if I don't get on with FedEx or some equivalent, I will have enjoyed the journey and the RIDE.

Best wishes and much success!!!

rickair7777

If I understand correctly that you are in Canada, or are going to be in Canada, keep in mind most of the folks on this site are from the US. There are significant differences between the US aviation industry and other countries. Almost anything we tell you would be incorrect for Canada...the 141 flight schools that have been recommended are a US FAA program for example.

I don't know much about Canadian aviation, but I do believe it is MUCH harder to get a job up there. Lot's of Canadians come to the US for training and then get an airline job here.

rheidorn

Hey UConn thats a nice deal you have there I dont know how you pulled something like that off, but hey props to you.

P.S. know anyone who needs an fo in a hawker, heck ill sit in the the toilette . lol

klintph

Thanks a lot for all your answers, you guys are great! I can feel that you guys are very optimistic about aviation. UConnQB14 you really lift my spirit, thanks man,it really makes sense,dont risk everything dont be blinded by the glamour effect of aviation immediately specially if you are just starting out,however they say that if I dont go full time I mean flight school training I will spend much more money along the way.

Rickair7777 thanks for replying too. I know that US is the best country for flight training, the birthplace of aviation, most of the pilots here are getting their training in the US but they are sponsored by our flag carrier airline but in my case Im doing this on my own so my financial resources are tight and in the US I think it is much more expensive to train than in Canada.

UConnQB14

hey..
just because you dont go full time doesnt mean it will cost you more money automatically.. to be honest with you, my instrument and private cost a total of under 8K, which is pretty good in New Jersey i think... going to a flight school full time is actually more expensive because you are essentially paying even if you arent flying. More salaried instructors to pay and more airplanes to fuel and maintain. Secondly, look at the websites for RAA and ATP, they have you close to spending 70-80K for all that stuff.. now look at the small flight school..

60 hrs for private with instructor: about 6K ( i got my ppl at 41, so it costs me a ton less)
60 hrs instrument with instructor: about 7K
10 hrs complex/high performance: 2K
10 hrs multi: 2K
renting to build some time until 200 hrs: 5K
commercial/CFI combined course: about 7K
total: about 25K to get ur CFI, then u just get free hours and fly as much as humanly possible

* one last note. the way the price increases is by never flying a lot.. fly everyday/night if you can, just get the hours. you dont need ground school if you can comprehend basics. the jeppesen private manual is straightforward so basic comprehension will make it a cinch. on weekends, fly 5-6 hours at a time.. once you are done with soloing, it is all just timebuilding and basic skills anyway.. any questions, just IM me or PM me*

klintph

yeah youre right UConn I saw the website of atp and raa and they are worth like a brand new high-end SUVs.