If you're in the air force, look to see if your base has an Aero Club. MWR can give you that info.

Personally, if I were you I'd re-up for another 2-4. It's going to take you at least that long to get through college and flight training, plus you can use your bonus money to pay for it. Might as well hold on to a paycheck and benefits while you're doing it. If you're worried about deploying, moving around, go ANG or USAFR. PM me for more detailed advice.

I see your point... I'm just fed up with loading planes for 12 hours a day. I want to experiance college life and get on the fast track to be a pilot...there is no flying club here.

Our ta money can't be used for flight training and I would like a degree.

+1 This would be the best route IMO. Spend your GI Bill on something practical and let the military pay for your training. You never know if you will loose your medical in 20 years.

Pre-med or Computer Science are good building blocks. Cant go wrong with an engineering degree as well.

G,
I'm living the dream by mine and many other aspiring pilot's standards. Flew Vipers, got hired by UPS, now in the training pipeline to fly CSAR -60's. I wouldn't recommend anyone get into the biz these days by going the civilian only route. Too much risk and debt for not enough reward. Oh, did I mention that my company is making billions in net profits each year and I still got a furlough letter this year? Not jaded, I love my job(s) most days...but I am a realist. For every guy that got lucky like me and 'made it' there are hundreds that get stuck in an RJ or worse. Is there anything wrong with an RJ? Off hand no, but if your goal is a 'major' it's like never getting past AA as a minor league ball player. It will affect your QOL unless you marry up!

The fast track to being a pilot, is stay in the AF, rock your job, get your degree, and apply for a commission/pilot slot. Get the gov't to pay for everything, and get the best flight training in the world. You're making more money now than your first several years at as a CFI/Regional FO. Why not keep your paycheck and benefits, and let uncle sam pay for it all?

Stick with the AF. It's either load planes, which you hate doing, or fly regionals outside of AF which isn't much better.

Timmy, is that you again? Tell 'em about the time you saved people in the World Trade Center...

;-)

Ok... After talking to a bunch of people and listening to you guys, my best route is stay in the af, get a bachelors, pursue all my own flying interests at my Local school, then get a commission, while making 55,000 a year. How does that sound? Just talked to my flight instructor, he makes 400$ every 2 weeks!!! That's horrible!

Yes, by all means get a degree whatever else you do. If you even think you might want a to be a civilian pilot someday, get a 4-year degree which provides a useful, marketable skill.

These degrees do not provide a marketable skill other than being a college grad. The problem with that is they hire these folks for very low wages in low-end white-collar jobs...there is long-term potential to make an edquate living, but you have to climb the ladder for years.
-Liberal Arts
-Aviation degrees of any sort (except engineering)
-Most science degrees (you need a PhD or MD to do anything other than lab assistant/technician)

These degrees provide a marketable skill, which you can jump right into if you maintain currency in your field.
- Engineering: Demand is rising, but most new grads in the US are foreigners...if you are a US citizen and can hold a US security clearance the defense industry will have a job for you the foreseeable future.
- Business/CPA (for a pilot, I would go with CPA it's more marketable)
- Computer Science (if you have the knack)
- Graphic Arts (if you have the knack)
- Pharmacy/Physician's assistant: More school but very high flexibility, easy to stay current, good pay, and you can work as much or as little as you want so you could stay current while holding a flying job.

If you are young enough, you could shoot for a military flight slot. Normal cutoff is age 28, sometimes waiverable a few years if you have prior service. Best bet here would be to stay in the guard/reserves, preferably a squadron. Those guys love to promote motivated enlisted from their own ranks.