Stirrin

I'm 20y/o and just finishing up my PPL with a little over 200 hours (I have access to a family plane). I'm looking to finish the rest of my ratings and going for a flight instructor job. I talked to a local 141 flight school who say they can get me from the instrument to the MEI for 28k and 3 months of non-paid instructing. My bachelors has been paid for and my PPL cost about 4k, so all in all this is costing me about 32k give or take. This seems like a pretty good deal considering ATP is offering the same thing (minus the 3 months of no pay) for 50k and 65k for phoenix east.

How much did you guys spend on your training? Is there a better way to do it? I know I could finish the instrument, commercial and cfi privately for less, but it would all be non structured and take me a lot longer to complete. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.


On a side note. I don't have 28k in my back pocket and this flight school does not offer direct financing. Does anyone know if it is possible to get loans without a cosigner for this sort of operation? And no, it's not one of those pay-up-front-and-skip-town kind of schools.

kingsnake2

I don't have an answer for you since I just have my PPL but I could quote it for you with US Aviation. I would quote it around $45,000 (just a guess based on total hours). Should also ask if that includes things like check ride fees, FAA tests, books, etc.

As for working for free, I guess that can be a good trade for you but it is a legally dubious proposition for both parties.

Muredhawk

28k sounds cheap to me. Things can add up very quickly and I would never work for free for three months. Make sure that those three months are worth while if you do make that decision...

TSRAGR

Two hundred hours to get your PPL, or acquired some then got the PPL? Sounds like an excessive amount of hours, however, if you got all that for 4K, good on ya. My advice, join the Mil get all of it for free. Most places I've seen for the 'full monty', all ratings thru MEI, Comm and the like are about one hundred K. Unless you have that kind of cash, it'll take a decade to get that paid off. Might as well take the Mil contract and get better training and not have any debt.

IMHO

Stirrin

Long story short, all my time is in a light sport aircraft and i was not in a rush to get to my license, since my instructor owned the airplane and let me fly all i wanted. I have a minor health condition that keeps me out of military cockpits. My examiner said it was fine for civilian flying since it in no way hinders my ability.

I am really looking to hear from some guys that actually got through flight training and into the airlines so i can plan my next move.

Packrat

Zero. I got paid to train by the Navy.

PRS Guitars

If you don't want to fly in the military that's fine, but honestly most minor medical problems are waiverable. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard "I wanted to go military but couldn't because of X medical problem". Then they disclose a medical problem that wouldn't have been an issue at all. What's the condition? PM me if you want.

JamesTLester

I bit the bait and did the zero to hero program at ATP, and ended up finishing CFI and CFII at a local school. Total cost was about 80k for private single and multi, instrument airplane, commercial single and multi, CFI-A and CFI-I, plus about 50 hours multi PIC and my high performance endorsement, which was free with my first CFI job.

If I had to do it again, I would probably go with a good local FBO (or if local weather patterns mean VFR days are hard to comedy, then go to Phoenix or equivalent). Know your stuff before you fly and you won't waste time. Prices should be closer to 30 or 40k depending on fuel prices and number of failures.

Best of luck!

GrumpyBear

You have a few options to go about this. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gome to a school that has a direct pipeline program with a regional. (ex: USAA in KDTO). You already have your PPL so this would lessen the amount you would spend. The good thing about those types of programs is that you have a guranteed CFI job once you finish the program (no working for free for three months). Plus you would rack up the hours quickly. Also being that you're 20yo, you would have to wait until you're 23 to apply for the ATP. Yes, you would pay more but you would have a regional job waiting for you once you reach ATP mins.

The other route is the military. Uncle Sam pays YOU to learn to fly. You would have a service obligation to complete (8-10yrs). The upshot of this route is that you learn to fly high performance A/C whether you track fighters or heavies. Once you get out you'll be competitive. You may even qualify, based on you hours and type of A/C, to apply straight to a Major as opposed to a regional.

Lastly, is to find a decent 141 school and start working on your ratings. I've spent about $65,000 on my FW ratings thus far. Uncle Sam paid for my RW, INST, COMM, CFI, CFII and RW ATP. In the end, find out what works best for you. Best Of Luck!!

TEX2

Zero dollars. Navy all the way. I was 31 when I got winged (and incredibly lucky since the rules changed after). I also had sinus surgery, PRK, and slight curvature to my lower lumbar...and I still got through NAMI. People are quick to say that certain ailments are disqualifying, but you never know until you actually research it. You can start (at least for the Navy/Marine side) by researching your condition in the U. S. Navy Aeromedical Reference and Waiver Guide. It will say whether conditions are NPQ (not physically qualified) or not. Many NPQ conditions are WR, or waive-able. This means that you're not technically qualified, but a waiver is recommended.

It can be a real ass pain to get through NAMI, but the rewards of building hours while getting paid as an officer are well worth it. Persistence can pay, and I'd exhaust every military avenue before attempting the traditional pay-your-way route. Good luck