Schooling for Flying
 

Hello all! I currently hold my private pilots certificate and have 98.7 hours TT. I am a senior in high school and I am wanting to purse a career in aviation specifically flying. I am wanting to become a corporate pilot and have a couple of questions for all of you.

I am going to a 4 year university next year. I will get all my ratings up to CFII or even my MEI. My parents are paying a majority of it, but I will most likely come out with around 10-15 thousand in debt. What is everyones input on coming out of college with debt while making a very low salary. I hope to go into a college with around 135 hours. That leaves me quite far ahead of the majority of kids in the aviation program. Let me know everyone's thoughts are about possible paths to getting a corporate gig after graduation. I know most companies wont hire until I have 1000+ hours. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again

I doubt you are going to get anything right after graduation. You will probably need to build hours afterwards as a CFI and maybe try to get some more TT.

I do know a bit about college debt as a college student myself. What kind of debt is it? Private loans? Government backed?

Private loans are usually fairly strict on payback- usually 6-9 months after graduation payments start.

Government loans can be really flexible. They can be up to like 20 years, can be a percentage of your salary (thus you pay very little when you make very little), etc.

It will most likely be private loans or pay back my parents. On average how many hours does a full time CFI get per year? I want to be a CFI as short as possible.

Also what would be the best route to get to the regionals to start building time? Be a CFI for a couple years, or would flying charter for a 121 company be a better idea? Thanks

Most aviation programs, esp people who go to ERAU, UND, Perdue already have aeronautical experience. Before I went to ERAU I had everything up to instrument ratings. Most of the students you will be with will catch up in experience in no time. 135 hours is really nothing, esp when half the students already interned at some of the big airlines.


Chances of going corporate after uni is pretty much guaranteed 0%. The lucky few are well connected, work for the company, or just happened to be sponsored.

Most charters wont hire unless you have a minimum CFI with a lot of experience, and at that point you might as well apply for the regionals.

The competition for any corporate job is tough. Most who compete are major airline pilots with thousands of hours who left because of the mandatory retirement and want to keep flying. The other group are straight out of the military. There are exceptions but this is the vast majority from my point of view.

What about a fractional company bizjets or netjets?

They won't be hiring for a long time. They won't look at you unless you have some sort military time and regional time. My uncle flies the G200 with netjets. I think they still have some fuhrloued pilots sitting around

So it sounds like the best route to any fractional/charter gig would be to fly for the regionals for a couple of hours to build hours and time?

It's been said before--find a ANG or AF Reserve UPT slot and go that route. Guaranteed to have the training and experience employers, airline, corporate, and charter.

GF

I have no idea what average might be but I know US Aviation Academy has some CFI's that fly 100 hours per month (can be more or less and has some seasonality due to weather). You can build hours quickly but it takes some motivation.

US Aviation (and 2 other schools) have a partnership with American Eagle as well which could be a slightly quicker way to get in.