Aksleddriver

Grumbles plans the best

krudawg

>>>The military doesn't pay for your flight training<<<<<and to finish the statement: "The US Taxpayers do - but it's a great investment because we still have the finest military on the planet.

CaptUnderhill

Okay.....kind of the same thing. So, since you actually have military experience as your screen name implies, why don't you go ahead and give a realistic picture? I hear from most people that the military route is the best.

galaxy flyer

A Lt including basic pay, BAQ (if off-base housed) and flight pay makes just $4,000 per month. I think it's now 40% of base pay at 20 years, sure to change.

As to the flight training, nowhere is there better, more intensive, more exactly, more tested flight training. You don't graduate without being pretty comfortable in a plane regardless of its position in space. Handling emergencies is drilled daily. Your first check ride involves acro, form and some instrument work. I always said it was about being comfortable in very uncomfortable situations. Testing is a weekly event--top of the class on Monday, train ticket home the following week-it's happened. It was better in the old one-track system.

The mission drives this effort--heavies do air refueling, tactical arrivals and departures--25,000' to the ground in one 360 in the -17. Fighters do way more! Shipboard ops for the Navy and MC, TOO. In 25 years I was involved in 3 Flying Eval Boards that resulted in wings being removed for deficiency in skills and attended several funerals, most recently last month for the F-15 pilot. It is very stringent.

GF

USMCFLYR

It is a great route - one that I would highly encourage.
The skills you acquire relate well to the professional flying world - and NOT just the airlines.

A realistic picture of the points on which you were incorrect. Ok

You are paid for being a military officer. Your job entails flying an aircraft.

The pay scales are in the link that I posted. There are extra monies included for various entitlements/bonuses/etc.... Like most government jobs - you can live well, but you won't get rich.

Under the current retirement system - after you have served 20 years you get a guaranteed retirement. That system is under strong scrutiny at the present time and it is a general opinion that it will not be in place much longer.

Flightcap

If you want the civilian route, consider getting an associate's degree at a community college and your private license at the local FBO or flight club before going to university. Almost all universities will waive their core curricular requirement if you have an associates, allowing you to focus on your flight training while there and complete your bachelor's in two years rather than four.

Also, if you are academically solid, going to a community college and getting a 3.5 GPA or better will make you eligible for Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two year colleges. Being a member of Phi Theta Kappa makes you FAR more competitive when applying to universities. It also brings scholarships your way from those universities. Some of the scholarships can be significant - my university waived 50% (yes, FIFTY percent!!) of tuition for Phi Theta Kappa members.

Hope these thoughts can save you money. It's not necessary to graduate from UND or Riddle with 100k student debt in this industry. Don't accept cookie cutter career paths - shop around and find the best option for you.

Flyboyxc91

Definitely get your associates degree and start working on the private pilot certificate at a mom and pop school. There are tons of accelerated programs that can get you many other add ons and ratings IF you have the correct fundamental knowledge which you attain through habits in the private training. Further I would get a 4 year bachelors degree because you have to be 23 to do 121 airline operations now anyway. This typically puts the college grad at 22 or 23 and then onto advanced floght training past private. That is the scenario for myself actually and I'm getting all my ratings now. With the time frame I've been progressing through I should make the regionals by 24 so I don't think I could have set myself up a whole lot better looking at the whole picture from a civilian route perspective.

ClarenceOver

Almost all universities will waive their core curricular requirement if you have an associates

LOL. Thats what the associates IS. They aren't "waiving" the cirriculum. The associates degree REQUIRES the core cirriculum.