get your degree (non aviation related), if you can while you are in college get your ratings up to your CFI, build as much time as possible.

Anywhere you go now a days you will have to have 1500 hours to get a good position. The regionals will require you at least have that. Your priority right now is to get your degree, the airline industry is not going anywhere.

I came out of college with $25,000 in debt. That is nothing compared to some of my friends who have triple, even quadruple that from going out of state.

As far as what school to fly for, US aviation teaches primarily foreign students. Is that a big deal? No, if you are willing to deal with that.

Whats the fastest way to get your ratings? ATP. Whats the fastest way to build time and get multi time while you are at it? ATP.

There are other ways to do it, but in my opinion, its the best way to go. If not, go military as stated above (ANG/reserve).

 

Join a Guard unit while in college, and become a crew chief, loadmaster, F/E, boom operator, etc. Any job that gets you around, and known to the pilots in that unit. Continue to fly during your off hours (some bases have flying clubs where you could even CFI). Once you graduate, apply for a pilot position in that unit. The guys you've been working with, and for, are the ones that make the selections. If selected, be a full time "guardie" until you amass enough hrs to apply to the majors. Better pay and much more interesting flying in the guard that for the regionals.

Besides, I think the Guard helps with tuition while going to school.

Just a thought. Good luck with your decision, whatever that may be.

 

Some really good advise on this thread. I think you should especially consider the advise above if you believe you have the right attitude to do MIL. If you sure the CIV is the way you want to go, read lots on this forum and others about the various pros and cons of debt, colleges, and degree programs. Lots of opinions listed here, some good, some not so much, almost all biased based on the poster's experience.
I suggest you take a close look a several schools, considering cost, location and post graduate help/flow though. Also note, you'll see several threads about young pilots with problems that follow them (DUI's, training failures, prior job history, etc, etc). Read and learn (think of it as reading an accident report) and try to avoid at all costs making same mistakes these guys are having to live down/explain.
This is a competitive industry and you don't need to set yourself back due to a stupid night out or a poorly prepared check ride. Good luck.

 

The school that I am most likely going to be attending flying is on the cheaper side compared to other similar 4 year universities. I can get enough scholarships/parent funding to come out with around 10-15,000. Would it be more wise to graduate with a 4 year degree in avaition being able to then get my ATP at 1,000 or to get them at a local place near the school i will be attending, but then cant get ATP till 1,500. What is everyone's opinion? The school I will be attending will give me a flight insturction job after I complete my CFI whitch will be end of sophmore year into beinging of junior year. Should have a job by mid junior year Thanks

 

One of the biggest advantages of doing flight training through some form of university (can be a community college too) is that you are eligible for all sorts of student loans, scholarships, and especially government subsidized loans.

Going straight to a 141 school you will need to get financing through Pilot Finance or pay in cash.

 

My two cents, where ever you go to flight school make sure they are teaching you to become a good pilot with good aeronautical decision making skills, not just teach to the test. Maybe watch them teach or even better, ride in the back seat during a lesson and see them in action. I have experience at ATP (for my CFII and MEI) and they only taught to test. I graduated from ERAU and they were not much better. I taught at a flight academy (not ERAU) and 95% of the instructors taught ONLY the test. The place were I really learned to fly was at a local, Part 141, FBO school (I received my CFI with them). To make a long story short, don't disregard your local flight schools.

I have said it in different threads, however I think it bares repeating. Over the past couple of year, commercial aviation accidents have been caused by pilots not being able to recovery from private pilot level maneuvers (stalls and low airspeed recovery). Which to me reflects back on what they learned and how they were taught during that rating.

Just some thoughts. Hope it helps a little.

 

Yes, this is a huge advantage for the university and the loan companies that will ultimately profit from it.

 

Not sure if this was meant to warn against loans...?

Anyway, loans for education are not bad but realize that they are an investment. It has more than pure monetary value but looking at the numbers can keep you grounded to reality.

Say you can go to a state school that $50,000 total or a private school that costs $200,000 total. There is a $150,000 difference in price. You can think of this difference as the amount you are paying for your better job prospects after graduation from the private school.

Here comes the personal finance part; it may seen complicated but is worth understanding. The $150,000 is the present value of a series of payments (the difference in your salary) over your life. $150,000 is the present value of 40-45 years of annuity payments.

At a 6% interest rate (this seemed reasonable to me but you can play with to see how it changes the amount), you would need to make nearly $10,000 more per year FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE in order to make going to the private school worth it. (the $10,000 is the payment given to you each year over 40 years that is worth $150,000 in today's money, given an interest rate of 6%).

Hopefully this made sense. If not just ask and I should be able to explain more.