Graduating College.. Off to ATP?
 

I'm currently in my last year at a NC college and will be graduating in May. I got my PPL last year and have accrued 86 flight hours TT. I have done well with my college studies however I want to fly for a living because it is my passion.. I am an extremely hard worker and when I got my PPL I worked 40+ hours a week, flew 3-4 days a week, and still got my license in 3 months time.. All this being behind me I think an accelerated program may work for me due to my high workload I can take. I want to go to ATP Flight School either in Raleigh or Charlotte, does anyone have any other advice for me? Or even which location may be best for training? Thanks!

Who paid for college ? Who will pay for flight training ? Have you considered the military ?

I was fortunate enough to have parents that paid for my college education, I however did pay for my PPL. The next venture to ATP would be funded by myself and my parents would undoubtedly try to help me.. I am not considering military flying at this point.

Avoid loans at all cost. Pay as you go. Do not accrue debt to enter this profession that at a regional level is merely a step above prostitution.

Generally im not a proponent of pilot mill programs, however in your case i would suggest to consider atp 90 day accelerated career pilot program. With hiring on the upswing again, and given how you said that you succeed in high workload environment and having college out of the way- i think you can blast through atps 3 month gig and start building flight time as an instructor. That program requires 100 TT and 25 XC PIC, but their price for it is $50,000 which is a bit more reasonable than their $65,000 zero time program which in my opinion is a little steep. Good luck!

Any specific reason why you are not considering pursuing an ANG pilot training slot?

What is your major? Why not work, and pay your way through. Just to echo what prior121 said, stay away from loans.

Who is going to want to receive instruction from someone with a couple hundred hours and "blasted through" a mill?

I had my heart set on flying for the Air Force for a long time, turns out that their OTS selection board is sitting in March (before I graduate) therefore I will not be eligible and have to wait ANOTHER YEAR.. just to see if I am selected and then I have been told it would be yet another several months and possibly year before I ship out just fot OTS, then comes the UPT (IF I even made it in).. It is just increasingly unfeasible at least in my mind to wait around so long for a chance that may good and well never accumulate. The flip side obviously I have a good degree so I can go ahead and work or obviously right now head direct civilian and fly like crazy straight to 1500hrs.. then see how things workout.. In my circumstance thankfully I am weighing in the fact I have zero debt as of college grad and I myself have saved a little over 30 G's to run through ratings as a start. I am well aware of the pitfalls aviation may throw but I love flying. Thanks for the advice so far guys.

Adlerdriver, as I certainly understand your point in some degree of light, in my mind it is what it is, flight experience. Granted, the experience attained is in a shorter amount of time the flight time is the same and in all reality research proves that retention is better to continue throughout a course of study than butcher it into years. I'm not saying the pilots won't come out the same or be accomplished if you do it over the years, I'm saying I have flown with PPLs that I grew up with as a boy, and after I got my license in just under three months I was teaching them tricks and proficiency just by flying with one another... Point is the Instructors are on the top of their game typically just after getting all their ratings and building time... I have 86 hours so no I don't have this experience YET but I wouldn't be looking at this if I didn't believe in it... I mean when you got your license didn't you feel like you were filled with incredible amounts of knowledge and then months or years later have to scratch your head and crack a book etc again wishing you knew what you still knew then... yes you know more from a practical standpoint, we are all pilots, a good pilot is always learning.

Thanks for your input and feel free to engage.