Flight Training Questions
09-30-2009 | 08:40 AM
#21
C21H30O2
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 356
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From: L/R or workin' the panels!
Try Gleim products, Sporty's products, Jeppesen, King Schools. All are good, try talking with your instructor and see what she recommends. PM me when you are able and I will try to help with any questions.
09-30-2009 | 07:05 PM
#22
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
From: CRJ200, CRJ700, CRJ900, Left Seat
Before you do anything, consider what your main objective is.
Do you want to fly professionally or just as a hobby?
If you want to fly professionally, then consider the industry right now. SkyWest, whom typically had two year upgrades, are now looking at 5 years before upgrade and SkyWest is considered one of the best regional airlines in the nation. At other regional carriers it is a lot longer. Depending on your age, you may NEVER see captain. Plus, you will be making almost poverty level wages for the next several years or so.
Consider the money. You are going to spend a couple grand on training. Like in the $10K plus range, conservatively, to get all your ratings. If you have a family, that could put a strain on you. If you don't have a family, it will still put a strain on you because it will take you YEARS to pay it back.
Now here is the other side of the coin...if you start now, you may be in the perfect position when the industry turns around. We have been through cycles like this before and it is only a matter of time before it turns. Pilots retire, quit, medical out, etc. Not everyone is going to be able to weather the downturn. It is up to you to decide if you want to risk it.
So, with that said, if you want to do it professionally, there is no hurry. Do what you have to do now for the long term and keep your eyes on the industry. If you want to do it as a hobby, at least consider getting your CFI so you can train other pilots. Then if you decide to go professional, you will have the hours.
And no matter what, what ever training you are going for: Private, Commercial, etc. do it as FAST as you can! Totally devote yourself to it. Stretching it out is only going to cost you money and affect your motivation. There are ways to help with the costs like ground school, but talk to your CFI to get the best idea about how to do that!
Good luck! Hope that helps!
Jeffrey
My blog Almost the Speed of Sound
Do you want to fly professionally or just as a hobby?
If you want to fly professionally, then consider the industry right now. SkyWest, whom typically had two year upgrades, are now looking at 5 years before upgrade and SkyWest is considered one of the best regional airlines in the nation. At other regional carriers it is a lot longer. Depending on your age, you may NEVER see captain. Plus, you will be making almost poverty level wages for the next several years or so.
Consider the money. You are going to spend a couple grand on training. Like in the $10K plus range, conservatively, to get all your ratings. If you have a family, that could put a strain on you. If you don't have a family, it will still put a strain on you because it will take you YEARS to pay it back.
Now here is the other side of the coin...if you start now, you may be in the perfect position when the industry turns around. We have been through cycles like this before and it is only a matter of time before it turns. Pilots retire, quit, medical out, etc. Not everyone is going to be able to weather the downturn. It is up to you to decide if you want to risk it.
So, with that said, if you want to do it professionally, there is no hurry. Do what you have to do now for the long term and keep your eyes on the industry. If you want to do it as a hobby, at least consider getting your CFI so you can train other pilots. Then if you decide to go professional, you will have the hours.
And no matter what, what ever training you are going for: Private, Commercial, etc. do it as FAST as you can! Totally devote yourself to it. Stretching it out is only going to cost you money and affect your motivation. There are ways to help with the costs like ground school, but talk to your CFI to get the best idea about how to do that!
Good luck! Hope that helps!
Jeffrey
My blog Almost the Speed of Sound
09-30-2009 | 08:01 PM
#23
Thread Starter
Line Holder
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Before you do anything, consider what your main objective is.
Do you want to fly professionally or just as a hobby?
If you want to fly professionally, then consider the industry right now. SkyWest, whom typically had two year upgrades, are now looking at 5 years before upgrade and SkyWest is considered one of the best regional airlines in the nation. At other regional carriers it is a lot longer. Depending on your age, you may NEVER see captain. Plus, you will be making almost poverty level wages for the next several years or so.
Consider the money. You are going to spend a couple grand on training. Like in the $10K plus range, conservatively, to get all your ratings. If you have a family, that could put a strain on you. If you don't have a family, it will still put a strain on you because it will take you YEARS to pay it back.
Now here is the other side of the coin...if you start now, you may be in the perfect position when the industry turns around. We have been through cycles like this before and it is only a matter of time before it turns. Pilots retire, quit, medical out, etc. Not everyone is going to be able to weather the downturn. It is up to you to decide if you want to risk it.
So, with that said, if you want to do it professionally, there is no hurry. Do what you have to do now for the long term and keep your eyes on the industry. If you want to do it as a hobby, at least consider getting your CFI so you can train other pilots. Then if you decide to go professional, you will have the hours.
And no matter what, what ever training you are going for: Private, Commercial, etc. do it as FAST as you can! Totally devote yourself to it. Stretching it out is only going to cost you money and affect your motivation. There are ways to help with the costs like ground school, but talk to your CFI to get the best idea about how to do that!
Good luck! Hope that helps!
Jeffrey
My blog Almost the Speed of Sound
Do you want to fly professionally or just as a hobby?
If you want to fly professionally, then consider the industry right now. SkyWest, whom typically had two year upgrades, are now looking at 5 years before upgrade and SkyWest is considered one of the best regional airlines in the nation. At other regional carriers it is a lot longer. Depending on your age, you may NEVER see captain. Plus, you will be making almost poverty level wages for the next several years or so.
Consider the money. You are going to spend a couple grand on training. Like in the $10K plus range, conservatively, to get all your ratings. If you have a family, that could put a strain on you. If you don't have a family, it will still put a strain on you because it will take you YEARS to pay it back.
Now here is the other side of the coin...if you start now, you may be in the perfect position when the industry turns around. We have been through cycles like this before and it is only a matter of time before it turns. Pilots retire, quit, medical out, etc. Not everyone is going to be able to weather the downturn. It is up to you to decide if you want to risk it.
So, with that said, if you want to do it professionally, there is no hurry. Do what you have to do now for the long term and keep your eyes on the industry. If you want to do it as a hobby, at least consider getting your CFI so you can train other pilots. Then if you decide to go professional, you will have the hours.
And no matter what, what ever training you are going for: Private, Commercial, etc. do it as FAST as you can! Totally devote yourself to it. Stretching it out is only going to cost you money and affect your motivation. There are ways to help with the costs like ground school, but talk to your CFI to get the best idea about how to do that!
Good luck! Hope that helps!
Jeffrey
My blog Almost the Speed of Sound
Well this is my plan...
First a little history. I am a recent college grad with a business degree and have a great job working for a great company making pretty good money. I thing is I don't really enjoy what i do... I don't hate it by any means but I don't really enjoy sitting in an cube farm everyday.
I have always had a passion for flying ever since i can possibly remember and for some reason I didnt purse an aviation degree which from the things I read was a smart decision.
My plan is to obtain my PPL up to my CFI and then train on the side and see were this leads to. Obviously working a full-time desk job M-F makes this hard to do.
I am well aware of the industry from everything I have read on this forum but I really want to enjoy my job and sitting behind a desk all day is not fun. Everytime I fly for vacation I dream of one day being up in the cockpit myself. So the way i look at it is purse something thats going to make me happy.
Once again I am well aware of the industry and the scrafices and the cons of being a pilot but its my dream.
Let the thrashing begin...
10-01-2009 | 03:36 AM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 826
Likes: 0
I have always had a passion for flying ever since i can possibly remember and for some reason I didnt purse an aviation degree which from the things I read was a smart decision.
My plan is to obtain my PPL up to my CFI and then train on the side and see were this leads to. Obviously working a full-time desk job M-F makes this hard to do.
[snip]
Let the thrashing begin...
My plan is to obtain my PPL up to my CFI and then train on the side and see were this leads to. Obviously working a full-time desk job M-F makes this hard to do.
[snip]
Let the thrashing begin...
I have a non-aviation career. I wasn't lucky enough to start flying as early are you will but it turned out I had a passion for flying, obtained my PP through my CFI and teach on the side.
No aspirations for a professional piloting career. Turns out I also have a passion for teaching and plan to expand that when I start cutting back or retire.
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