My Planned Route...
 

Hello everyone! Here are my plans on becoming an airline pilot, what I eventually want to become.

Right now, I am 16 and a Junior in High School in Rhode Island. I want to start flight school down at the local FBO (KSFZ) to get my Private Pilot's License within the next 2 years. After high school, I plan on going to college (Rhode Island College) for 4 years (which is the minimum for some airlines) but I don't have to major in anything specific. So, I was thinking about going to college to become a Technology Teacher in a High School. During the summers I would have off, I would be able to build up hours get the additional ratings I would need. I might get out of teaching to spend more time getting ratings and certified and building time, and become an instructor at a local FBO where some of my teaching skills might come in handy. After I had 1000 hours total time and reached Cape Air's minimum, I could become a first officer there and eventually a captain and stay there for a few years. Then after I had the minimums to get into either a regional or major domestic airline, I would apply at one that had domiciles near my home at either Providence, RI or Boston, MA, both of which are short drives from here. I would love to fly for Southwest, but the nearest domicile from here is BWI... JetBlue does have a domicile here in Boston, but I've never liked Airbus's... lol. I can always look into that later, but I do not want to relocate out of the Southern New England area...

I was thinking about going to an academy, but I think I would have more flexibility (even if it takes longer) with FBO's... I'm not sure though.

How does my plan sound? I am looking for suggestions, advisories, etc. on the whole route.

Thanks,
Nick

Sounds like a solid plan. Don't be afraid to change things along the way if you see problems or opportunities arise. Nothing wrong with FBO training - just keep your eyes open. Don't let them try to sell you goofy financing schemes, just pay as you go. If you aren't bonding with the instructor, don't be afraid to ask for a new one, or even test ride another FBO. Good luck.

I hope my son puts as much thought into his career as a high school junior.

That sounds like a great plan, you are already ahead of most of your peers for thinking ahead like this. I was in your shoes at the same age and got my PPL when I was 17 before my senior year. Just dont do what I did and get in trouble for skipping school to fly. I got more detentions my senior year than I can count for doing long cross countries on school days. Luckily the principal cut me some slack and never suspended me like he would have others because he knew the flying was working toward my career. The people in the office thought it was hilarious though that I was cutting school for something so productive....lol

And don't try to pull off any "cool" acts of airmanship in front of your peers. You can't get away with as much in airplanes post 9/11.

I got my ppl at 17, CFI at 19, and instructed all through college. You could easily be beyond 1000 hours by the time you graduate and have some spare cash to spend on those things college students like. Find an FBO to train at that hires their own trainees and has multi engine training. Get a job pumping gas while training to defer the cost if you can.

hey Nick. Your plan sounds very similar to what I did. I got my private in high school about 12 years ago at a local FBO when you could still get it on your 16th birthday (mine was a few days after my 16th due to WX). I fly with guys in the airlines that always say they wish they had started doing this when they were younger... so you are off to a great start...

When I was in high school I wanted to go into the airforce, then I changed that to airline pilot, then changed that back to corporate pilot and back and forth about 10 times in college. Once you become a flight instructor you will pretty much realize you can do either one, you just want the one who is going to hire you RIGHT NOW so you can stop flight instructing and start flying the fast stuff ASAP!!!

You'll change your mind a few times (especially as airlines go up and down) but stick with the flight training and you will get to your goal.

You sound like you have a great attitude. Good luck!!!!


:D

Thank you everyone for your responses! I really do appreciate it.

@aero550: Yeah, I plan on paying as I go so I don't have a huge financial burden on me which would really drag me down with payments and such...

@Driver Driver: Haha. Yeah, I think I'll take your word for it and not fly during school hours. haha.

@cbire880: Yeah, I wouldn't do that. I'm not thing kind of person that tries to show off to others, I could care less... haha

@UnlimitedAkro: Yeah, I have changed it a little before, but I have always had that mental picture of me landing a 757 in the back of my mind... So I try to stick to that. But, I've had this mindset since I was about 6 or 7.

Now I have another question. Every summer I go to the FBO and take an introductory flight in a 172. Now, the flights are half and hour but every time I have gone (about 4 times), when I'm up there for about 15 minutes, I get nauseous and we have to end the whole thing early, and then right when we hit the runway, I'm fine. But I don't normally have any kind of motion sickness when I'm on boats or airliners (I know it is much different though) or anything like that... Now when I go in the summer, it's in Tennessee (We actually go to KOLV, though) and the temperature is usually in the mid 90's... Could this be causing it? Are there any steps to take before the flight that can prevent this besides being hydrated? Would I need any of those motion sickness cures out there?

Thank you all for your time,
Nick

Motion sickness in light airplanes is actually very common for beginners. If you don't have unusual problems with cars, boats, or commercial airliners then you will almost certainly get over it with time.

Light airplanes are the worst on a hot day...they don't have AC, and the heat drives convective turbulence. These things may help...

- Eat a light snack first
- Try to fly early in the morning (shortly after dawn) or even in the cooler seasons.
- Ask the instructor if there are areas less prone to bumps (coast lines are usually better than hilly areas)
- Maybe do a few flights where you avoid low-speed training manuevers.
- Use all available cockpit ventilation...maybe open a window during slow manuevers.

If for some reason you continue to have problems, you can explore medical treatments...but some of these drugs may not be legal for pilots. Those wristbands which apply pressure to nerve centers would not be a medical issue at all.

Nick, Just be careful when choosing medicine for your mild motion sickness. It should wear off on its own over time, but if you need medicine, I highly recommend you check the FAA's list of approved medications first. You cannot take the popular Dramamine and fly. Motion sickness is fairly common when first starting, I turned green riding in the back of a bonanza with no yaw damper on a bumpy day. Thing wagged it's tail the whole way in the clouds... it was a rough day. lol. Best place to look is www.aopa.org or do a google search for FAA approved medications. Good luck!!

Thanks everyone, I'll look on AOPA and find out, and I'll take those tips into consideration.

Thanks Again,
Nick

Don't fly in Tennessee in the summer. It's always hot. I've done it for the last 3 years and wish I didn't have to. Like right now, I can't fly (so no $!) due to T-storms all over. Just drink lots of water though to stay hydrated. That will help so much.

Nick,

You are definately on the right track with planning ahead. Now to your issue of motion sickness. I myself was plagued with this problem during my primary training. I had the 7:30am slot at my college, so it was first thing, mind and body aren't entirely functioning as a whole, etc... One thing I did was cut out breakfast. I might eat a pop-tart, but that was it. Another is keep hydrated and on a good sleep schedule. On those really hot days, it will advance the sickness because the body is reacting to the heat. Also anxiety towards new manuevers or uncomfortable feelings, such as the stomach drop during stall training. Over time you should grow accustomed to everything and overcome the sickness. By the time I hit 100hrs I was a completely different person in regards to Motion Sickness. Every year I could tell I was resisting more and more. Now I might get a lil weasy one day a year, and that's flying every day. So keep your head up, keep working through it, and don't let it discourage you, you're body will eventually change and accept the rigors of flight.

Nick, when I was your age, my plan was to get my ratings and two year degree at Big Bend CC in Moses Lake, WA. Transfer to CWU's aviation program in Ellensburg, WA. Get a job at Cascade airlines in a Beech 99. And then get hired at Alaska or United.

Know what? I ended up at the local FBO and local CC for a two year general degree. Transfered to Riddle. Flew Grand Canyon tours, worked for the FAA, spotted fish, flew 135 freight, flew 121 freight, and got hired at UPS in 1990.

None of that was in my wildest dreams when I was 16.

My point? Be flexible. When your 16, you wanna have it all figured out, cut and dried, but that's not the way this industry works.

It's baby steps, man. Focus on your PPL right now, cause you can get that at 17. Worry about the rest, later.

By the way...a 757 is pretty easy to land. Especially if you let the autopilot do it....

yeah, its all just baby steps... granted i only have 102 hours now, but back right when i first started and before i started, i was all worrying about what the whole big plan was... now that i am where i'm at now i couldn't care less.. its about being in the moment RIGHT NOW. getting the things you need RIGHT NOW. i have no idea where i'm going to end up, and thats half the fun of it.