starting flight training
 

Hello, I just joined this website in order to get more information/advice into a career in aviation. I have always wanted to pursue flying as a career. I have never flown in a small airplane before, however, it has always been a dream of mine. I am currently finishing up my sophomore year in college and am 20 years old. I believe that I am going to continue getting a degree in Business because switching over to lets say an aviation degree would set me back too far. ( I have heard getting a backup degree in something other than aviation is a smart choice). I have found an flight school near where I live in Boulder, called McAir Aviation ( which I believe is a part 141 school). Right now, I am thinking about starting training to get my PPL this summer. Therefore, Is there any advice anyone can give me on flight training? Also, any advice on careers in aviation, other than airline pilots? I love the mountains and want to take a mountain flying course. What careers are there that will pay decent? Any advice is helpful and too much information is never enough! Help me out guys! Thanks, Nick

Yes I do have some advice.

Buy a book that is simply titled the "airplane flying handbook." Reading through this will give you some good background knowledge on what your getting into before you even step inside the plane, and will become a VERY good resource once you actually begin flying.

Second, find out what type of planes your potential flight school uses and buy the POH (pilots operating handbook) for that paticulair airplane model and get familiar with it. This is another thing that will give you a good head start before you even begin

You can save some money and read the "Airplane Flying Handbook" on line.

Airplane Flying Handbook

It probably would be cheaper to buy it if you want a hard copy, it would smoke a home printer but you can download it and print it if you want.

1. Read This First: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/fl...reer-read.html

2. Before you make any firm decisions or training or financial commitments, get your PPL and fly around for fun a little bit. If you find you don't enjoy that process, career aviation is probably not for you. If you're still not sure, get your instrument rating.

3. I would recommend a part 61 flight school (or even just an FBO). I have plenty of experience (student and instructor) in both part 61 and 141, and 141 is not as flexible as part 61. 141 is not going to be cheaper either, despite what they may tell you. Only use 141 if you are a military veteran with education benefits which require the use of a 141 program.

4. Plan on working as a flight instructor and maybe flying night freight in small airplanes until you have at least 1500 hours before you will be eligible to be hired by an airline (new federal requires an ATP, which requires 1500 hours).

5. Try to avoid going into debt, entry-level aviation does not pay enough for you to make payments on a large loan. Try to remain employed and pay-as-you-go, even if your training takes longer. Also it would not be a bad idea to work in your college-major field for a year or two...this will provide income while you train and will give you a frame of reference for what's it like to work in the real world. You might need that frame of reference if you ever have to decide whether to leave aviation.

6. Do a lot of research. APC is a good place to start. When selecting a flight school do not take the salesman's word for anything...talk to students and instructors (out of sight of the managers). You can usually find them on the ramp near the school if you hang around. I cannot over-emphasize how important this is. If you use an FBO and freelance instructor, you will have to use your own judgement about the available instructors.

Entry-level aviation is full of people who nothing about aviation but are expecting to spend a lot of money. For this reason the flight training industry attracts a lot of crooks and scam artists. If your gut feeling says "no", better listen to your gut.

If a manager/salesman says you will get an airline job in one or two years and make a ton of money, walk away.

If a school wants a large sum of money on deposit (more than $1-2K), turn around, walk out and never look back. Never give a school more than about $1000 at a time. Many of them are perpetually in financial trouble, and they rely on new students' making large deposits to fund their operations. But if the industry or economy takes a hit (9/11, oil prices, etc) and the new students dry up they will not have the money to keep operating. Students will show up one morning and find the doors chained shut and the owners already in South America or the Caribbean. Anyone who had a large sum on deposit will be SOL.

I worked for a company a while ago who paid for the employees to take a mountain flight training course in the Rockies. We were based out of Rocky Mtn. Metro and flew a route through most of the challenging airports in the state. Here are some pictures- you would love taking the course.

Rockies 1
Rockies 2
Rockies 3

don't half a$$ your training, stay focused! last but not least, enjoy it!!! :)

[QUOTE=Cubdriver;935149]I worked for a company a while ago who paid for the employees to take a mountain flight training course in the Rockies. We were based out of Rocky Mtn. Metro and flew a route through most of the challenging airports in the state. Here are some pictures- you would love taking the course.

Damn! those pictures are awesome! Any chance that is Lake Dillion in the pictures, or am I mistaken?......Anyways, what company did you take the flight training course with? Any additional info would be great man. Looks like it is something to be looked into.

Clear Creek Reservoir and Twin Lake Reservoir show up in those pictures. Sorry, no job leads right now- I am looking myself for something at the moment. I resigned that job to take a supposedly better one which did not last as long as hoped.

anyone else have any ideas/advice!?

I think I mentioned in the other thread that Western Air located at Rocky Mountain Metro (KBJC) is the best thing since sliced bread. Rocky Mtn. Metro is not far from Boulder. McClure is a Civil Air patrol boss and they have a large and distinguished instructor staff. Although they push the Cirrus program they also have budget wing using mostly Cessnas. They have a first class mountain flying course that I took a couple of years ago. You will need to get your private certificate before you can take that course. Insurance will probably keep you from flying without it after that. They lose something like two aircraft a week in the Rockies. I could not believe it when I heard that number from Howard McClure. He would know since he goes out looking for them.