Serious Question
 

Sorry guys, but I have searched the internet but cannot find the answer to these questions I have. Im a long time aspiring pilot and want to start as soon as possible. I really dont want to procratinate as for the people at Pprune forums advise me.

My goal in life is to one day sit in the captain seat of a major airlines jet such as American Airlines. I am currently 17yrs old. Obviously I need my PPL, IR, ATPL, CPL, FAA, and the rest. My father just recently started bringing in the dough lately (About past 5 years) becasue he started to get into investing real estate. So, money is not really a problem. He's willing to put in the money for me to get my dream job. I've wanted this ever since I was 8.

How may I know I want this, well for one, every time an airplane goes by in the sky, I notice I'm starring at it. I love the airports, I love flying in airplanes. I cant even describe my love of flying. It gives me the chills. I am in very good physical shape, have the best eyes in the world, and am currently not on any medications. Anyways, enough of the background information, here comes the questions.

I'm going into my senior year in high school, and am currently getting A's and B's. When I get out, should I go to a training school then go to college for a degree in aviation? Get a degree in aviation (or anything else, does it really matter that I get a degree in aviation?) then get my certificates? Or, is there a college that has both training and education? I would rather go to a something that has both. Im just not sure on what there really is.

Heres what I think would be best. I want to start my PPL while in my senior year of high school, then when I get out, I will finish up in a college that trains and offers a degree at the same time. If thats not possible, then I wnat to obtain my certificates first, then get a job as an instructor and go to college at the same time. That way, it will help pay for the college bill.

Sorry bout all the writing, but I need to know what to do. I'm tired of putting it off. I want to do this! I've been very serious about it for the past 6 months. Now its time to get started. Thanks so much for reading all this and providing your intake. By the way, I'm not really sure where people on this forum are from, just to clearify things, I'm from the U.S.A.

Since you are just starting out I would take a few flying lessons...see if you like it.

I would reccomend going to college for a four year degree. You need the degree not only for aviation but to give yourself a good back up if aviation does not work out.

I went to Letourneau university in Texas. 4 year degree in aviation. i used the Bachelor Degree to get a couple of jobs when aviation was in the toilet (9/11)...check it out letu.edu.

Other options are the "big Names" Embry Riddle, Ohio State, FIT...etc...

Check with your school advisor for some....some of the smaller schools are good options.... I.E. Daniel Webster in New Hampshire, Bridgewater State in Bridgewater, Mass.

Good luck.....I too wanted to fly when I was 8 and I love my job today!

PSG

Online
 

I'm getting my Bachelors online from UVSC. (uvscaviation.com) Working well for me. My friend got a job at great lakes with no degree. During the HR part of the interview, he told the chief pilot he was working on his degree online with UVSC. The chief said "we have lots of guys here that are doing that". I say get your flight training first, then finsh the degree. But!!!!!

DO3R17-

I can see by your writing that you have the passion and fire in your stomach. That's awesome! This alone will get you very far in the airline pilot profession.

First things first. No matter where you decide to do your flight training, hour building, and 4 year degree studies, being a pilot means you're in a business where the contacts you make create the jobs you desire. Simply put, that means that you will advance further and faster when you reach out to people you come in contact with. Nice, friendly people go far in this business. I honestly don't care how good of a pilot you are; the FAA wouldn't license you if you were dangerous. So create some differentiation in yourself by being likeable, professional, and interested in people around you as you build time and finish out college.

I went to a small college in Dallas while flight instructing part-time. The contacts I made between 250 and 1500 hours total time were the contacts that created every job I ever got, up to dream job with a major. Build friendships and contacts along the way, and you'll do well in aviation-- I promise.

It doesn't matter what your degree is in, although like the prior post said it's good to get something non-aviation so your eggs aren't all in one basket. Wherever you go, make sure there's lots of activity. Where there's lots of CFIs and business jets, there are lots of jobs and networking opportunities. DO NOT go to a small mom-and-pop school sitting by itself on a 4,000 foot strip in Bonham, Texas!

All the best to you as you finish out high school and begin your upwards trajectory. Drop in once in a while and let us know how you're doing.

i agree. try a few lessons and make sure u love it. Get your degree in something beside aviation. Get your PPL asap and as many ratings along the way while in college. you can't get what u want without the degree no matter how many hrs. and ratings you have. best of luck.

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. A very good frind of mine suggested that I join the Air Force Reserves while I was treating him out to dinner! That way, I could get flight hours from that. While doing that, I can attend Purdue in Lafayette Indiana. I live about 30 minutes from there. There is also a place for the reserves about 20 minutes away. Suprisingly, it seems to fit like a glove.

I also think that by joining the reserves you get a certain amount of money paid for the school you attend. If this is true, then my golly, it couldn't get better. What do you guys think about the reserves? I will probably obtain more flight hours from there (especially those precious Multi Engine hours). I appreciate your input.

Oh, by the way, I've been on the internet for the past three days straight for at least 8 hours a day doing research and still going strong. Just want you guys to know how serious I am.

Going into the reserves to fly just doesn't work like that. In order to fly in any branch of the military you need to be an officer. One of the requirements for that is a four year degree. If you go into the reserves you'll be working as a crew chief, loadmaster, or other job until you finish school. Then you have to hope you can get a flight slot upon finishing your degree. If money isn't an option, get through your ratings and start instructing as fast as you can. Going into the military could cost you quite a bit of time, especially if you get called to active duty.

Purdue is a great school, they have very nice facilities and equipment. It was on my short list but being from Missouri made it very expensive to attend. I believe that the only things you'll be required to pay for as an Indiana resident are your flight fees and books. Not a bad way to go.

Good luck!

I've decided that joining the reserves does not work out like I wanted it to. Ok though, I will obtian my PPL my senior year so that when I enter Purdue I will be instructing by the time the first year is over. Now, just getting into Purdue.

Lots of hoops
 

Purdue is a great plan! Get a meaningful degree in something other than aviation though. Aviation will work but you need to be more well rounded.

Other advice:

Consider ANYONE you meet in the field may be in a position to help you. DON'T BURN ANY BRIDGES.

Keep detailed records of your work history and residences so you can come up with a work history from high school on when asked quickly and easily.

Keep a copy of everything you send to any employer.

Don't get arrested and stay away from people who may get you arrested.

Don't live with roommates who have drugs in the house. I had fun with drugs in college (1978) but unfortunately, times have changed. You can't afford to get caught with them anywhere around you.

Keep all you training records.

Have fun in college and remember, college co-eds are awesome but you can only really date them in college. :p

lol, I appreciate the advice. Especially about the girls :rolleyes: I just recently checked out an airport I just found about, omg its 3700 dollars, thats it. I'll get my PPL for that wowwww. I went to two othe rplaces and they were asking near 7000 dollars. Always shop around ;)

I'm finishing up my CFI at one of those $7000 places. I have rented in the past from the $3000 places. There are huge differences. While more expensive, I don't have to worry about the radios in the aircraft working properly, and parts being maintained. The $3000 place had a couple aircraft that had virtually non-existient radios, and required a portable intercom (costing you more of your hard-earned money) if you wanted to communicate without shouting. Little things like this added up and I got sick of guessing engine RPM on a tach that was placarded "reads 200rpm low" and never stabilized. It's nice having aircraft with GPS and modern, working radios available and I have no problem justifying the extra expense. Even their older 172s are very well maintained.

Quality instruction is another factor. See what kind of resources they have. Nice simulators will help with your instrument rating. These are usually less expensive than an aircraft and allow you to learn procedures as well as hitting "the pause" button to clarify situations or set up specific scenarios. Not something you can do in the airplane. Certification requirements can also add costs. Is the program certified under part 141 guidelines or is it a part 61 program? Part 141 schools have an approved sylabus and in many cases these greatly reduce time requirements for certain ratings, like the commercial. Under part 61 you'll need to log 250 hours total and do many hours of cross country flying to get the rating. Part 141 only has a few cross country requirements and no total time requirement. In the long run it may be much less exspensive to persue a more expensive part 141 program than a part 61 program.

Check into a flight school very carefully before throwing that kind of money down. It's a huge investment. Have a friend who is already rated go with you and inspect the maintenance logs on the aircraft. These should be readily available and somebody who has gone through their private should know what inspections are required and where to find them in a logbook. If they refuse access to these (which is not legal) walk out and never return.

I went the aviation degree route. At the time it was the only way I could afford to persue my dream of flying. To be honest, it still is :) While I agree with many of the comments about diversifying, I went to a school where much of the core curriculm had a business focus and I could go back to school for a year and get a second degree in management or marketing if I choose to do so later down the road.

You're asking a ton of questions, which is great. It's not easy, and it won't get any easier. I'm just finishing up the chapter that you are just beginning. The questions don't stop, and you'll often wonder if you've taken the right path for yourself. This fourm is a help that I wish I had six years ago when I started looking at schools. Don't stop asking questions and arm yourself with as much info as you can before making a decision. Don't just take the words from a school recruiter as the end. Talk to students, customers, graduates, anybody that you can because they'll give you the real take, not the advertising spin.

I've gotten this thread way beyond any real pilot's attention span. Feel free to IM me with any questions. My screenname is the same on AIM and Yahoo as my screen name here.

One More Thing
 

One more thing to keep in the back of your mind. I won't repeat what's already been said, because everyone has already done a great job of informing you. I just wanted to give you (and whoever else) another option of building up flight time in addition to flight instructing that some people forget about or sometimes dismiss. Skydiving!!!

There are hundreds of drop zones all over each state that are dying for pilots. Most of the times it is the small DZ's that operate 182's that really need the help. So take some time and look around for some. Most of the time they either won't pay that much or they won't pay at all, but just think of it as free flight time and who knows they might turn you into a skydiver for free. That was my story. I built more time flying the jumpers around than I did flight instructing. Plus they didn't have any minimums for me to start.

It builds good character, makes you an ace at landing and perfects your visual flying skills (because most of the time none of the instruments work in the plane anyway). Just something to keep in mind. You'll need your commercial license to do it, but I highly recommend it. Good luck.

It's a Part 141 school (I just found out) but it even says that you wil probably need to spent another 900 bucks on hours so it adds up to like 4500, which is still great. I will check out their equipment to find out how it is. I am also going to try to aim you, I was at work all day yesterday and didnt get back till like 12.

Actually that was one of my questions I've had in the back of my head for the past month. Does building your hours that way influence the major airlines in a negative way opposed to getting your CFI and training pilots? IF not, then why become a flight instructor when I can fly an airplane and skydive.

Why Not? I think you should do a lot more research about the Mil option before you dismiss it out of hand. Thier are multiple avenues via the Mil.

Active Duty
Obtain an officer Commision via Rotc or Service Academy. IF you have the grades and are physically qualified, Obtain a pilot slot and fly for the Military for Ten years. Have an adventure before becoming the Autopilot Monitor.

Reserves/ Guard. This would involve Enlisting as a Crew Chief, Load Master, or Boom Operator in a local Guard Reserve unit while in School. After graduation, Apply for a pilot slot. This is a great way to go if you have a unit near your school.

OTS / OCS : Go to school as a civilian. After Graduation, apply to the services for a pilot slot.

Now of course, that is way oversimplified, But If I can do it (option 1 via NROTC), any one can. Nothing is guaranteed in the Military though, so you'd want to keep up your civilian training as well. As long as you hadn't accepted any money for your education, you'd incur no commitment, and would be able to get out if you were not physically qualified.

It's a good way to build total time, but aside from that there isn't much you'll get. You don't log any cross country time because you're just going back and forth to the same strip. Skydivers don't jump in overcast so you won't get any actual instrument time either. These are two major things you get when instructing.

Cfi
 

Being a CFI is your first tast of being a captian. Everything is up to you. Your student will look to you for all the answers, just like you look to your CFI for answers. I enjoyed my time as a CFI, And learned the true meaning of PIC.

If you live that close to Purdue, why not consider Vincennes University? They'll take you from nothing to Commercial Instrument Single and Multi, as well as CFI in 4 semesters. I did it faster than 4 semesters, and you could too if you are motivated, which it seems you are. Purdue takes Vincennes transfers after the 2-year degree if you don't want to stay in Vincennes for the whole 4 years. You'll have the opportunity to get all of your ratings done cheaper and more structured than at Purdue since VU is a 141 school. VU has a great core of instructors with most having more than 8,000 hours of instruction time. These guys are paid by the University, so you won't be gouged by fellow students who are trying to just get their time and get out. Definitely a great program. PM me when you get 25 posts if you want more info.

Since you live in Indiana you might want to check out Indiana State University. We are not a Part 141 school but I was also checking out Purdue on my hunt for colleges my senior year as well and unlike you I didn't have the great financial situation you have upon entering school. I found that Purdue while being a great school, (I'm not knocking Purdue at all) their flight program was very structured and cookie cutterish. Which is great for most people but I am kind of a quick learner and don't like to be held back. I instead checked out Indiana State and their flight program was a much more "work at your own pace" type of school. So it may work better for some people who work at a quicker or slower pace than your average student. Also its a bit less expensive. I'll come out owing around $65k with my Private through MEI with my Tailwheel endorsment. Also if you like small bit of adventure you are allowed to fly to the Bahamas with a group of students after you get your Private and recieve 2 college credits in the spring. This is great if you need the cross country time for your intrument or commercial. Also you are almost guarenteed a job at the flight school you flew at once you get the ratings. Once I get back to the States (I'm in Germany on an exchange program) I will be finishing up my commercial an hopefully the CFI in the next semester. Here is a link to the schools website......
http://aerospace.indstate.edu/....... Happy hunting.

Indiana State also takes VU students as well. Just a thought.

you might check out Kansas State @ Salina, i'm in my 3rd year there finishing up my bachelor's degree. Its easy to get hired by the school as a cfi once you obtain it. they have nice planes (172 w/G-1000) and the price is much lower than others out there. www.sal.ksu.edu.

Quick question!! I'm planing on taking a loan from nelnet to cover ERAU (probably around $140 000 USD). They said interest rates will most likely be 7%. Is that too much of a risk to be taking? Will it be hard to get over? Is it worth it in the long run?!?!?

140K $ 7% for flight training. Holy ****! Thats F#$^ing expensive. Save you money - shop around you can get it all for under 50k (www.allatps.com)...

-LAFF

Thats way wayy wayyyyy too much money to take out in a loan...I came from riddle, got lucky got a job right away at a regional and can just barely make rent and my 1000/mo loan payment...don't do it, you'll regret it!

Thanks alot rightseater! Thanks for the heads-up, the opinions are great guys! How do I get a loan to cover 50K $ though to cover ATP? Usually these companise such as NelNet only cover loans for their listed schools

ALLATPS will be able to get you in touch with a broker (is that the correct word...) who will lend you the money...


Do you have a four year degree? If not, I would get that out of the way first - full time , no distractions , then get into flying...



-LAFF

No, I do not have the four year degree as yet. This is the last yr in high-school, Im planing on spending an extra semester in September so I can get some Calculus / Geometry & Discrete Math... Then Its Uni./Flying I started my private but stop because I couldnt finance. Hell, fuel surcharge was expensive!!!! I was paying an average of $230 Canadian for 1.3 hrs + a flat rate fuel surcharge of $30 per hr.

Note: There is only a 10 cents difference between the Canadian & U.S Dollar. Outrageous!!! AND IT WAS IN A C-150 :confused:

Wow thats an insane amount. I was paying $55/hr for a c-150 in Daytona...not at riddle, but at a small FBO there. Add an instructor to that and it would be around 75-80. I'd say anything over $100 for a c-150 with instructor is too much. I'm sure thats an impossible price to find in canada. You mentioned toronto in a previous post...if thats where you live u might want to look into Buffalo NY. thats probably an hr and a half drive, but if you could fly for half the price it might be worth it....just a thought

Ya, that's most definetly cheaper than here. That's why I made the U.S one of the options. The only downfault is the tuition costs. While you guys pay incredible sums for tuition ($120+ per credit hour), our government doesnt allow that. They make sure the poorest of all can get post secondary education. Our two most funded programs by the government are education and health. We complain here for tuition costs for over 1 K$ per yr. :)

4 year degree then flight training
 

All the more reason you should get your degree in Canada - then do your flight training in the US.


Degree first then flight school in the states...Work when in school and especially the summers - put the money away so you can make a bigger downpayment on your loan.

Depending on what you make while in school I would look into putting money into a index fund. I recommend the Vanguard S&P 500.

-LAFF

You read my mind Lafrequentflyer, your head is definetly on straight. I've actually been watching the market for last bit and the options. Mutual funds seems respectably good. The security is good. Stock market itself at this moment is too shaky.. Ahh bear market!!! :eek: It will eventually go up though. I had the best idea ever and I created an account with Yahoo!Finance and created a portfolio so I can study it. (For those who are businesslike and have enough brains and time to study these things... its the right move to being succesful). I've been watching the aviation markets since around 16. NOT GOOD!! Damn it's bad!!!!! It's almost like your buying the lottery from one company in the world, and your chances of winning is one out of the number of persons in the world!! Outrageous... Out of all, the only airline that seemed as if it had a steady future/income is southwest. Boeing is not even steady anymore... Airbus is doing huge business

Well, I'm looking into some school broshures right now. Looking for undergrad degrees in Canada. Hopefully this path works out... I just hate the fact of spending another time away from flying :mad: IT MAKES ME TWITCH. My every outdoor movement is fixed to the sky!