aaronjmsb

This is my first post, so here goes. I hope it's not too long-winded.

I have been browsing around the forums and have found a lot of great advice that is applicable to my situation. But I still am looking for some advice on what is the best route for me.

I am just about to finish my bachelor's degree in a completely unrelated field to aviation (check that back-up plan off the list!). Once I am done, I am planning on moving to Arizona for personal reasons and I want to do my flight training there. I am pretty new and inexperienced to the field of aviation but I ultimately want to get a job as an airline pilot for one of the majors. That's the goal anyways.

So I'm wondering what is the best way for me to go. I don't need a degree, so I am fine not going to ERAU or any of the fancy, expensive schools. Since I have spent the last few years in school, I would like to get all my training, licenses, certifications, etc. as quickly as possible. I also don't want to spend a lot of money (impossible to do, I know, but whatever is the least expensive).

I am thinking of doing flight school through an accelerated program like ATP or TransPac or even ASU, etc. so that I could instruct with them to build hours afterwards. Although training with a local FBO is appealing because of the price. My question is what is the best route to get all my training as quickly and cheaply as possible (since I don't need another degree at this point) that would also put me in a good position to potentially get a job with a regional later and eventually a major airline?

So to sum it up: I don't need a degree (I will already have one), I would like to spend as little time on training (not a high priority though, I'm flexible with my time), I would like to spend as little money as I can (big priority) and I want to be in the best possible situation to be lined up with a job down the road once I have all my hours (highest priority).

Sorry for the long, detailed explanation Any advice and/or suggestions?

Cubdriver

Welcome to APC!

First, try hard to be granted a slot as a military aviator (AF, NG, etc). Barring that, money becomes an issue you must watch closely, and I heartily discourage getting a loan even if you can find one. Get a job doing something that will pay for your flight training as you go (Home Depot) located near a large FBO with lots of airplanes and instructors. I discourage AllATPs and similar puppy mills because they encourage debt.

Having found a good FBO, plug away at each rating as you earn the cash to pay for it. This will take a while obviously, but the point of it is to come out a more solid pilot as opposed to an instant pilot, and then find work doing a timebuilder job as a CFII. That will hopefully lead to an MEI position. If that proves tough, you could take a detour as an aerial applicator (pipeline, surveys, banners).

When you reach Part 135 flight time minimums, if you feel ready, apply to Part 135 jobs and Part 121 jobs. The main point of all this is to avoid debt. The airline industry will not support heavy flight training repayments.

Good luck! Also, get a first class medical fairly soon to make sure you can get one.

kingsnake2

I think most people would agree that, if money is an issue, try to get into the military. They pay you to get your license.

Other you will be looking for a part 141 school and may want to consider talking to each of them individually about prices and financial help they can offer.

Of course, I'm partial to US Aviation Academy, but it's in Texas :/

aaronjmsb

Thanks for the input. I've never really considered the military route because I didn't think it was for me, but maybe that's something I should look in to.

The plan for me is to go to Arizona, but I can be flexible. kingsnake2 What can you tell me about US Aviation Academy?

A big concern I have is getting a job once I've finished all my training and built my hours. I've heard of some schools that are partnered with airlines and so they can guarantee an interview after graduation. Does that really matter though? Are there some schools worth considering because they can make the transition from student to employment easier? Or is all this that I'm hearing about a pilot shortage in the future true and it will be easy to get a job regardless of how I get my training?

Any thoughts on that?

kingsnake2

Well it is true than there are many airline pilots set to retire in the next 10 years or so. I couldn't say exactly how many pilots are in training or ready to replace them.

I can tell you that US Aviation Academy's motto is "On time and on budget." It is a business. They will get you through as fast as possible and for a good price. US Aviation may also be able to help you get a roommate (don't 100% hold me to that) while you train. (Another good thing about Texas; the cost of living is cheap.)

Zero Time Through Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Professional Pilot Program | 866-383-2400 | US Aviation Academy | 4850 Spartan Drive, Denton, TX 76207

Keep in mind those prices and times are subject to change depending on gas prices and your personal ability.

The phone number is on the site. 1-866-383-2400.

Call them, tell them you are interested, and they should be able to give you a bit more specific, personalized help.

As for a job, US aviation often hires the CFIs it trains. That could be another point to discuss as well as training for CFII and MEI while working for US Aviation.

Again, I do have to say though, you should strongly consider the military.

USMCFLYR

Well...list those reasons here WHY you thought the military might not be for you and then others will be able to give you some GENERAL advice whether it may or may not be an option - though nothing is ever rock solid.

USMCFLYR

flyeryder

I have a few co-workers that came through the military route and while, yes, they don't have any debt, they still have military commitments that they need to comply with. Some chose to go into the reserves and it seems they constantly have to take military leave to go work on their weekends and such. It just seems like a big hassle to me. I came through the civilian route and I'm still paying back student loans and should be done in the next couple years, but I don't have anyone telling me what to do on my weekends or telling me I need to commit to a week of military duty every so many months. However, they choose to stay in the reserves or active duty because they want to be able to earn retirement income, which would be nice as well. So, there are always pros and cons with the military.

Another option that I wish I had known about when I was training is some of the foreign airlines, such as Cathay Pacific, JAL, ANA, etc. have pilot programs. I have a friend who's girlfriend just finished the Cathay Pacific program in January - it took her two years, although she already had her Commercial Pilot Cert when she started. And now, she's flying either Airbuses or B777 airplanes, she's based in Hong Kong. The training is part in Hong Kong and part in Australia. She said there were applicants from all over the world and it was very competitive.

So, you could get all your ratings up through Commercial and not have to build time as a CFI. The catch is that after they put you through the training you are under contract to work for them for 6-7 years or something like that. But, they pay for all your training...so, it's kind of like the military, but with a foreign airline.

As far as getting your pilot ratings as quickly and as cheaply as possible, I would not go the academy route either. The link kingsnake2 provided has the typical advertisement that these places try to bait you with - 35 hours to get your PPL,etc... If you have no experience in aviation like you said, this will be hard to do. The national average time it takes someone to get their PPL is 60-70 hours - that's almost double the price just for the PPL.

Don't believe the prices any flight school quotes you and always ask if they charge a fuel surcharge. Come up with your own estimate of what it might cost based on your own situation - study habits, how many times per week you plan on flying, what airport you choose to fly out of. Send me a message and I can send you a table that I use to estimate flight training expenses, you can tailor it to your unique situation and get a pretty accurate estimate.

Cubdriver

This is the first thing I would look into. You will come out FAR better off without school loans to pay, and with better training in most cases. If you are young the time commitment is not a big deal. I would have done it even with a big time commitment, but I started too old.

You can get an interview with or without a reference letter or interview promise, it's not worth that much. Interview guarantees are just sales tactics, I would not consider it an advantage of any serious size, and airline can still turn you away no matter who set up the interview.

What might be worth considering however, is when the ATP rule goes in effect next fall, certain flight training institutions will be probably be granted an exemption to it. The exemption will be 1,000 hours instead of 1,500. From what I can tell, you are not headed for one of these schools anyway although I would ask about that.

aaronjmsb

So here's an update... I've been doing some research and as much as my bank account will hate it, the military is pretty much out of the question for me. I won't be able to pass the physical requirements due to some past surgeries. Major enough to keep me out of the military but minor enough that it won't affect my ability to pass a first class medical.

Getting at least some debt is looking to be pretty inevitable at this point. I've read some people's opinions on these forums that it is a bad idea to go with private party banks like Sallie Mae. My brother-in-law did all of his graduate school loans (he is not a pilot however) through Sallie Mae and he has been happy with the deals and services that they offer, etc. I know that the interest rate is killer and on a pilot's low entry-level salary it will be difficult to pay back in a timely manner. I understand these risks, but is there anything else I should be aware of? Besides of course the high amount of debt, are there other reasons not to go with Sallie May or something similar?

Also, flyeryder (I couldn't figure out how to send a PM) a table or chart to help estimate expenses would be very helpful if that offer still stands. I haven't heard either about training with a foreign airline. That sounds interesting to me. Is there anything else you can tell me about that?

Thanks everyone for the input! It has been very helpful so far!

kingsnake2

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