Career Plan
 

I'm new to this forum. I've done a lot of research on the different ways of becoming a pilot. I still have some unanswered questions though.

Some background info: I am 23 and a veteran. I have 2 years of school in finance.

This is my plan:

Use my Post 9/11 GI bill to go to Embry Riddle for a bachelor's degree in aeronautical science. From what I understand this will allow me to graduate with an ATP-r cert which will allow me to become a first officer at a regional airline. I will graduate without debt because of my GI bill.

Then I will use my remaining military benefits to finish my BS in finance or marketing. This will allow me to have a real bachelor's degree, which is necessary to be competitive when applying for large airlines such as Delta in the future. It also creates a safety net in case I can't fly in the future. The way my benefits work, it is best to get my aeronautics degree first then finish my BS in finance.

I do have a few questions. Does graduating from somewhere like Embry Riddle automatically give me my ATP-r or does it just lower the hours and I will still have to build hours to eventually reach my ATP-r? Does graduating from a school like Embry-Riddle give me a better shot at going straight into a regional airline as a first officer or captain?

I would appreciate any advice. I'm trying to build a game plan for my life.

No and no...

Take a strong look at Auburn's aviation program because my understanding is it will give you a BS in Business with a flight concentration. They qualify for R-ATP at 1k TT and it's a quality school. You say you already have two years of credits, so you won't use all 36 months entitlement. Then feel free to use the remainder of your GI Bill to get an MBA or MS Finance down the road.

I don't have a connection to Auburn but it's what I wish I would've done with my GI Bill instead of a community college (I already had a BS in History).

Graduating from ERAU will allow you to obtain a restricted ATP at 1000 hrs TT along with the other requirements in part 61.

Graduating from ERAU or a similar aviation focused school will not give you a better shot at a regional FO position. It may give you an edge at some other companies or segments of the industry.

My recommendation is that 500 hrs is less than one year of your life, whereas finishing your degree in finance is another 1-2 years of your life. Get the business degree - use the rest of your GI bill for a masters of you want.


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Get a business degree. If you want to fly, do your training at ATP.

Have a backup plan.

Finishing the degree from Embry-Riddle is not the ATP. It just qualifies you to get a r-ATP at 1000 vs 1500 hours. Your flight training will not take 1000 hours. You can maybe get your CFI and start teaching before graduation to get close to 1000 hours, but graduation does not automatically mean a restricted ATP. Don't be surprised spending some time instructing or gaining hours after the degree completion for a regional job.

I would read the Post-9/11 GI Bill flight training provisions very carefully. The VA has been expressing their concerns over inflating costs from flight training.