Tonker

If you could go back in time and do your flight career over again, would you do it differently? How so? Please keep it constructive

Things to think about: Flight Training, Funding, Timing, Ground School, Self-Learning, Relationships, Education, ect..

PearlPilot

Flight training: I trained at an FBO and didn't start until I got a full time job. Didn't borrow any money for flying so I would have done the same.
Timing: I would have loved to have started at 16, but due to money constraints I was forced to wait. It was a good thing because I had my bachelor's degree when I started to fly.
Ground school/self learning: Did the majority of my work at home and I thought it worked out just fine.
Relationships: One of my college professors upon learning I was an aviator warned me about "fast women." I have yet to meet any fast or slow ones. Only time will tell

Tonker

That seems to be my plan as well! It's looking like I'm going to have to pay my dues in IT before I can pursue my dream. I have one more year of undergrad left, so I hope to knock out my PPL during that time. Then, I'll be getting the rest of the training done part time, while I work full time trying to pay school loans and flight training.

How long did it take it for you to complete your training while you were working?

HercDriver130

The only thing I would have done differently is I would have stayed in the industry in 1994, rather than losing those years. Worst case is that I would still be at that company but would probably be in the top 100 or so at that company with a seniority list of 2700. But.... thats not what happened... can't change what I did... only what I will do going forward.

chazbird

Should have done the military and the military training. I was into airplanes as a kid, my grandmothers brother (cousin?) was a 707 captain at Pan Am, then retired as the senior captain on the 747. He didn't even have a full high school education, stole his first airplane, flew the Clipper boats, pretty amazing, and he's still kicking at 93+. But...he didn't really offer any advice because he sensed a disapproval from my father about other things. So there's the problem, no mentoring from my parents. As a kid I once asked if "do you have to know a lot of math to be a pilot?" My mother said "oh yeah, you sure do". Like she knew! All my father did when it came to opinions about the military was was rag about how dumb the military was, (ex-Army non-officer draftee) and that "the Navy was the worst". Like he knew part II! At 16, when I thought for a brief moment that being a pilot would be a career I should have figured it out and applied myself for college and the military, but I was too brainwashed. Instead at 19 I started at a mom & pop's FBO, paying for it all myself (by-passing college) while my mother said "you'll never finish that". The mom & pop place was fine but they knew nothing of what lay beyond, as in how to prepare for charter or commuter, etc. So it ended up as a lot of of two steps forward 1 3/4 steps back, and this went on for years and years. I have tons of experience now and only regret some of it, but it could have been much, much easier with a little support and research.

Essentially, what is key is finding a mentor who knows whats it all about, who isn't jaded, who if they don't know something exactly can point you to someone who does know something about it. I think things are tougher now days but the training system of is generally much better.

Dark Knight

financing an aeronca champ or chief and logging time comes to mind...

the earlier in life you accumulate TT the better, funny how a few hundred hours can affect your life as a pilot. This can work against you too! Plenty of guys held out for "better" regionals and ended up on furlough while lower time guys went to a lower paying regional and expedited their career.
Kind of a crapshoot I suppose....

Best of luck!

an excellent question for the forum.

PearlPilot

It took me about a year. About 7 months for the instrument, and a little time building here and there in between the PPL and instrument, and between instrument and commercial. I have 230 hours to date so I should be at 250 by the end of August or so. Total time from 0 to 250 should be about 3 years for me. Good luck to you!

slinger

I would never have gotten into it in the first place...

DirectTo

Would have majored in business and done flying on the side instead of majoring in aviation and then going back to do business. Could have saved a nice chunk of change.

Ewfflyer

Same here, I wish I would've taken additional classes instead of staying just in the Flight program. Business, finance, econ, something of that nature.

But, where I'm at today, I wouldn't trade it.

-2000-2004' Student at a University(TT-281hrs)

-May 04-Oct 05' CFI at a small airport, 152's and 172's, also picked up some right-seat flying for a local 135 op(TT-1400hrs)

-Oct 05'-Jul 07' Freight pilot in C310's, 20 months, +2000hrs(TT-3400)

-Jul 07'-Jan 11' Full time pilot for a Piper/Socata dealer(TT-5200)

Jan 11'-Present Joined my dad farming full-time, I still work for my previous company on a part-time basis, and a few other contract jobs, and have access to a 48' Luscombe to play in every once in awhile.