I am currently in high school and I am thinking about becoming a commercial pilot. Which school should I go to? I am considering MTSU or Delta State. Any advice?

 

A lot of people are going to tell you to get a degree in something other than aviation.

But, if you are really set for aviation as a degree, both Delta State and MTSU have respectable programs. I personally know 2 friends that go to MTSU. Another friend is at Auburn doing their Professional Flight Program.

 

what part of the country do you live in?

 

Louisiana tech!

 

What kind of limits, if any, do you have on what you can afford? Some schools are much more reasonable than others. Tuition, room and board, books, flight fees, etc can all add up very quickly at some places. Something to keep in mind!

 

Take on-line classes and get a flying job anywhere that will take you! Build your flight time as fast as you can, as young as you can.

 

Go to a college that has a variety of degrees with decent programs and also has a flight school. I was really glad I did my training in a college program. The ground school was great and I learned from some amazing career instructors and check pilots. A lot of the people training there weren't aviation majors either. Most of my students were engineering or business majors who were just interested in a private pilots license and/or instrument rating. A lot went all the way up through CFI and CFII while getting totally different majors.

There are some big colleges that offer a variety of degrees and also have a flight school. I definitely support those schools over 100% aviation schools.

 

That seems to be the attitude lately since the airlines are hiring. I personally dislike working with those types of people though. They care more about making it to the airlines fast than they do about actually learning and loving aviation. I've seen some really unsafe things out of people like that, and heard some really dumb things out of them in casual conversations about flying. Most of them got their ratings fast, crammed for the checkrides and forgot a lot of the information. A lot of them also have low hours but have really macho attitudes.

 

Kansas State University - Salina

 

I do happen to think I am very "macho", thanks , but I also happen to think that how well you learn and retain the knowledge is directly related to the attitude and work ethic of the individual, not the pace of the training.

I'm not saying cram your ratings ASAP while sacrificing true learning but I see no reason why quality and time efficiency can't go together. When I say get your ratings "as fast as you can" I'm thinking a time period of a year or two. If you could have your commercial and CFI before your 20th birthday you would be in amazing shape. After that I would say get a job instructing while finishing your degree online.

My point is just that if you want to have a successful career in the airlines which I'm assuming is your aim, then you have to know your quality of life during your entire career is going to depend on your seniority number, which is dependent on your DATE OF HIRE. The younger you are on your date of hire, the easier it will be on you, your family, your blood pressure, your life! It's not a priority that should consume you but make sure you keep that thought wandering in the back of your mind somewhere.

Have fun and enjoy whatever path you choose.