Jakob

Hi everybody,
I have been reading these forums for a while now and have learned alot. I read pretty much everything I can find about aviation and really try to inform myself. But although I do all this reading I am still pretty much unsure about what to do. I have almost no contacs to airline pilots what I would like to change although that is pretty difficult for me. Maybe I should describe my situation first: I am a US-citizen. I moved to Germany with my parents when I was four. I am going to German school and will be graduating in about two and a half years (In Germany one graduates a bit later but there is no such thing as junior college and I will probably be able to skip that in the US too). I will be doing an internship at Lufthansa CityLine Technik in EDDH in January and I know one pilot wo works for them and helped me get to that internship. I am looking forward to that and I am sure that I will be able to learn alot there. The thing is that I want to be a pilot in the USA. So my plan is to move to the States after school and start an aviation career. My problem is that I know nobody over there anymore so nobody will really be able to help me out a bit. I know some people but they all have nothing to do with aviation. I would just like to get to know some people who I could talk to and who could give me some advice. Right now I am pretty helpless because I read so many different opinions here and everywhere so I just don't know what to believe and what to think. The only thing I know is that I a want to be a pilot and that I will make it somehow I just have no idea how in the moment. I love flying and everytime I get to fly I just enjoy it. I have read extremly much about the life as a pilot and I know what expects me and I am sure I want to do it. I have had a few opportunities to fly a small cessna with an instructor and I know that flying is what I want to do.

I know that people ask over and over again here how to get to their goal of being a pilot but I wanted some advice too. I hope I don't bother somebody by asking again. I am just don't know how to make it in my situation coming home from Germany and knowing nobody. So my question is: where can I get to know people? Shall I just go to EDDH on a weekend morning and wait until the Continental 757 (They are te only US-airline that comes to Hamburg) arrives and try to get hold of the pilots? Do I have a chance? Are there other things I can do? Please don't be annoyed by me asking.


Please excuse me if I have done some mistakes, I live in Germany for a while now and am not perfect in my english-writing skills anymore.

Thanks in advance

Best reagrds
Jakob

CRJ-200

Since you're moving back to the States if money isn't a problem try FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida if money isn't a problem. You can go from zero time and get all your ratings pretty quickly. Check out this topic. Or just try to find a good FBO like what you PMed me about.

Good luck!

STILL GROUNDED

"I will be doing an internship at Lufthansa CityLine Technik in EDDH"

I'd relax and see what opportunities this may bring, who knows.

Definately come to the states to get your tickets though, its much less. I hear we'll have user fees soon but it can't be as bad as it is in Europe.

You've got time. Get an education in something other than aviation, relivant but give yourself a back up. Don't stress to much about it and fly the bones off your flight sim for now.

Stay focused, good luck!

rickair7777

A few suggestions...

Make ABSOLUTELY certain that you want to fly (and live, and raise your family) in the US before you invest in FAA flight training. If you decide later that you want to go back to europe, you will need the JAA licenses, which are much more difficult as you must know. It is a LOT easier to convert JAA licenses to FAA licenses than vice-versa. There are a number of JAA schools in the US, so you could still benefit from the lower cost of aviation in the states.

In the US, you don't really need to know any major airline pilots to get into the industry. You do need to know some pilots...but you will meet plenty during your training. Your flight instructors will move on to regionals, then help you get a job at the regional. When you are a regional FO, your captains will move on to the major airlines, and then help you get a job there when the time comes. Every job I've ever had in aviation was a arranged through someone I knew.

Obviously people who tend to p*ss people off a lot don't get far in this industry...

Jakob

Thank you guys for the replies. I am totally sure that I want to fly in the US for some reasons. First of all I really love the USA and I feel home there, not in Europe. My mom used to live there until four years ago so I was there often and I know what I am saying. Europe is nice and has its advantages but like I said before, I feel home in the US and I feel more like an American than like a German. Second thing is that I find the airline industry more interesting in America. We have Lufthansa here which is a great place to work (I know some people who do so) but I want to fly and live in the States.

I would like to get my degree in some business/management/economics kind of thing. Do you guys have any idea where I could go to get my degree? I'm quite good in school (1s and 2s German system - A and B in the US) so I might have pretty good chances to chose a place, wouldn't I? Could I somehow combine the degree with doing my ratings? How long would it take me to get all ratings and a masters degree? I am willing to work VERY hard. I'll do anything I can to get up there...

Thanks again for the replies

Jakob
PS: I usually get along woth people pretty well so that shouldn't be a problem. I always had lots of friends, just not in aviation.