ATCsaidDoWhat

I think your assumption of the amount of flying you will be able to accomplish in the Chicago area, given the weather patterns, is excessive. Remember, the guy from ATP is a salesman first. His job is to get your money. If Mother Nature doesn't play ball, it's not his fault. So yes, you may well end up doing "repeat" lessons. Which will cost more money.

As others have stated; and I hate to throw another bucket of cold water in your face...you will not be competetive at all with those hours. To assume that just because you have a wet CFI ticket with an MEI attached to it, that someone will let you begin instructing ME students is not a stretch...it's a leap across the Grand Canyon.

Now...the issue of college and degrees. Good idea. Consider this. At respected schools, you will complete a well rounded 141 program with your comm/inst AND an AS degree in two years. You can then take an additional semester and pack in your CFI, II and ME. Armed with those, you will have a better than average opportunity (assuming you are a good stick and decent person) of teaching at the school in their program. Meaning building hours and experience. You can also continue in a four year program with a different discipline. A good example of that is Florida Tech. They have a full plate of various programs outside aviation. So do other schools.

I understand where you are coming from and your desire to go fast. I wanted to do the same thing. I ended up taking a year off between high school and college...a very wise move...and then went full bore at school. Got my 2 year and went back into the schools flight department and racked up 1500 hours in about 18 months, then landed my first regional job at 22. By age 24, I had been a Captain on two different airplanes, with a type in one and got hired by a major at age 24. But I also had 3,800 hours and a lot of turbine PIC.

Times are different now. The push will be for more experience...not just the minimum hours...as has been the trend recently. As far as majors...and by that I also include the big cargo carriers like FedEx, UPS and Atlas... where the real money and growth will be in the coming years...it's going to be experience and hours.

Good luck!

SkyHigh

Don't forget to be young guys. There are other things to being 18 that should not be overlooked. Have fun. Sleep in. Play XBox. Find a job where there are a of of girls. Flying will still be there when you are 23.

Skyhigh

babs

Not such a good idea...when I went there, the written exams WERE included in the cost of training...only the examiner fees were NOT included. So unless you want to waste an extra few hundred dollars, I would do them at the training center.

vtbvtdk

If you take any advice from this thread, it should be what is quoted above. Skyhigh's signature is good food for thought too. This industry is not all rainbows and butterflies, so before you get caught up with rushing into it, take some time to enjoy yourself and figure out your life. Believe it or not, the plan you make at 18 will look MUCH different when you are 23. Be sure that you aren't so fixated on something that you overlook other options along the way...

FlyPurdue

I am a recent (December 2010) graduate of Purdue Univeristys flight school - After graduation i had no less 3 non flying job offers. I ended up turning them all down as I had a full time CFI gig lined up that is getting me to the airlines. While at uni, i made sure to diversify my background by being involved with many organizations to help me get those 3 offers. So don't just shun the 'aviation degree'. I learned a ton about aviation, had profs that cared, and made life time friends. Purdue gives you experices that no one else in the world can offer, a Phenom 100 PIC type rating with time in type as PIC, 727 level C simulations that really teach you how to manage aircraft systems, energy, and most important, crew.

Now once I have a few years as a line pilot - I'm going to get my MBA, while at uni I made sure to get all the pre recs out of the way so i can attend business school, with my goal to eventually be a mgmt pilot specializing in marketing. Purdue really helped me get to this point and I would def check it out!



Good luck!

usmc-sgt

A little deceptive. There are MANY places all over the world that offer these exact same experiences for a price. UND offers these great programs for a price just as any other for profit vendor.

One could easily argue that these experiences are a waste of money that could be allocated elsewhere. There are many things a sub 300 hour pilot needs more than a light jet type and 727 time.

FlyPurdue

All I know is Purdue, but you are absolutely right, UND offers a great program too, and so do many other world class institutes. My point was to show that there is some validity to an Aviation Degree, it can be quite frustrating to continually read that my degree is 'pointless' and 'useless' as I worked quite hard for it, and am confident that it will be useful in the long term.

Cheers!
FlyPurdue

USMCFLYR

FP -

What were these 3 flying job offers that you turned down for the CFI gig.
Did I understand your post to say that included in your schooling was a Phenom 100 type rating and that you were able to log some hours as PIC?
I certainly didn't those types of opportunites as at college during my aviation degree training. My how times have changed

USMCFLYR

usmc-sgt

Sorry, I had a brain freeze and meant to comment on Purdue and not UND...I have no idea what UND offers. My response was in reference to Purdue.


Other USMC, I believe you misread the job offer part.

FlyPurdue

All,
None of the 3 jobs where flying, just in the industry weather revenue management, or strategic marketing, and I really want to be a pilot in the interim, so i tuned the 3 non flying jobs down, and kept the cfi gig going.

The Phenom program is not in full swing yet, but students entering the fall of 2011 will get typed in the aircraft 70/30 (70% in a simulator, 30% in the aircraft) once typed, students will fly the aircraft for university executive travel as PIC (in the left seat) while a type rated professor will be sitting in the right seat. All and all, a good program, and quite unique!

Cheers!