d0rkiishchris

Alright, I'm 24 years old and live in Tampa, FL. I work in the Audio Visual world, setting up, and programming control systems. Until a few months ago I was getting my private pilots license, and on the edge of being done. I've been slowly building up time since high school, but keep getting interupted with college, and now my job. My hours got cut back so now my wings have been clipped so to speak.

I've always wanted to work in aviation, ever since I was 9. When I was in High School I wanted to go to Embry Riddle. But as its so retardedly expensive, I couldn't fathom $150,000 in loans while making $35,000 a year. Even though I probably wouldn't mind living in a Toyota Camry if I got to fly a 737 every day, even a -200. I figured I'd go to USF, and fly on the side. It didn't really work out and flying got lost in translation. Now, I don't want to spend another day doing what I'm doing.

I found that the FAA is hiring ATC Trainees with a 24-credit hour certification from assorted colleges. I'm gonna move to Jax, Fl to do this training and then hope the FAA hires me as a trainee. With my income as a trainee and eventually controller, I plan to pay for flight training. I'll pay for my time away with loans and government grants if I can get them. I don't care at this point, money doesn't matter anymore.

Well, this is the plan I came up with. I've always wanted to control, there just hasn't been a college anywhere near me that had the training program. I was going to join the airforce to become a controller, but the recruiter said he couldn't promise it. I'd also consider embry riddle, I am just wasn't sure if you come out of there with enough hours to be hired by a carrier?

Thanks for reading

HectorD

You do realize that Embry Riddle is not the only school that has a pilot program right? Like you said, ERAU is expensive to the extreme, I mean, some Ivy Leagues don't charge as much as riddle does and yet, those schools give better financial aid than riddle will ever give.

Either way, the job market is very poor right now. There might be a future in the ATC sector, but if you really wan't to fly and make a living out of it, you will find yourself in a dark room, controlling planes you wish you where flying.

If you don't like what you are doing then don't keep doing it, but keep in mind, compared to a flying job, you are allot more secure. You are going to be taking a risk, but all pilots do in the beginning so keep that in mind as well.

if you don't have a degree, I suggest you enroll in community college and get your ratings at a small flight school. You learn the same thing as you do in Embry, only thing is that you save $100,000.

Just my .02

250 or point 65

Couple things. Its good that you want to work and pay for your flight training that way. However, ATC is probably not the way to go. It would be very hard to pay for training while on ATC training pay and it'll take a WHILE to get there.

Basically, youre going to pay to be an ATC, to pay for education in another career...why not just pay for the education in the career you want? It just seems to me that you'll be paying more and taking longer to accomplish your goal.

d0rkiishchris

thanks man

its not that i will be in a small room controlling planes i wish i was flying. I've always wanted to be a controller and/or a pilot. It may seem as though I'm settling for less by being a controller, but I really want to do either or eventually fly after wards. I'm in love with aviation, flying, all the procedures, check lists and skill. I love that sort of thing, as nerdy as that is, I'm proud of it. Right now I'm watching a 2 hours Cathay Pacific 777-200 cockpit video. Then tomorrow night I'll probably sim around in my Level-d 767 lol.

Whether or not its a risk, I have to do it. I can't become a controller after the age of 30, so I can't let that opportunity escape. The FAA should be hiring controllers for quite some time to fill the retiring gap. So as long as I get this certification, I should be able to get my foot in the door there.

Oh well, its my plan. And I hope it works out.

d0rkiishchris

I agree, i've always wanted to do both though. I guess I'm only familiar with Embry Riddle. And as I've been enlightened that there are other schools, do these flight training only schools (not colleges) get you the hours to look good for a carrier, or is the idea to CFI for a long while?

250 or point 65

2 things

1) Gone are the days that you're gonna get hired with a wet commercial certificate.

2) The goal of training is to get your certificates, not get your hours. Why pay for hours when you can get a job (CFI, cargo, traffic watch, etc) and have someone else pay for you to build time?

kersplatt

If you want to be a professional pilot, plan on getting your CFI certificate no matter what. I know a lot of pilots that got hired with a wet certificate, sat on the bottom on a seniority list for a year and only flew about 100 hours and then got furloughed. Now they have 350 hours and they are basically forced to go get their CFI to even meet the minimums for when the hiring starts again. Even if you have a genious plan to avoid flight instructing, get in anyways. I am not one of those that will paint a rosy picture about how great it is, you may not like it. But, give it your 100% if you do end up instructing and it will pay off later on.

There are so many options to get good training. If you want to stay local, explore all of them in your area. Look at a map and find all the local airports and check out all your FBOs. Look into all community colleges and universities. The advantages to a university or college is the financial aid options are better but the cost is more. I believe that it doesn't matter where you go, but who teaches you. There are some great instructors out there, and a lot of lazy, crappy ones that are just building time for the next flying job. Don't be one of those. You never know who will be at your company when you apply, I have had many students pass me up and gave me references.

I don't want to discourage you but it is also very competitive to become an ATC. I personally would not be happy sitting in a dark room and watching others fly. However, there are a lot of advantages to their job like job security and retirement. Everyday, their job is much more stressful and demanding. But when there is an emergency, they are sititing on the ground while the pilot is in the air with a broken airplane.

boeingt7

That seems to be the thought process of most people wanting to be a "glamorous pilot." Trust me- I was the same way. But this notion of living in your car and eating from the garbage can (which will happen to you if you go that route), gets old very very quickly. Go the atc route and save yourself from this horrible career known as a professional pilot.

NoBeta

I wish you well friend but I just want to look out for you when I say this and I mean you no harm......BUT

You have "SJS" shiny jet syndrome.....What is "SJS" It's that fuzzy feeling you get every time you think about blasting off into the blue mixed with some of mother natures whites and that dream of endless sky in the horizon......I'll stop there and let you research the rest....just search for shiny jet syndrome on the forum and you will find out.......better yet burry yourself in the regional section and bring yourself up to par with whats going on in the industry. You will be happy you did!

It's your plan and I hope it does work out for you too, But we,as in the great folks on this forum will not lie to you about the truth of the industry. You will not find the truth from a flight school recruiter.

I would just like to point out that ATC could be a good career as well but like said before choose one or the other. It's tough enough to do one let alone both.....

Flying a 737 sounds great but dont go live in a dumpster to do so, and please do not buy into " The Dream " ........ Reality sunk in to alot of the 250 hour wonders when they started nodding off to sleep in the right seat of a regional just to be woken up by a radio voice " ABC 123 descend and maintain one six thousand " after 14 hours on shift 7 legs and a captain who was just as tired as they were. Good luck and fly safe

imatworkallday

where in Tampa are you doing your training at?