JetJock16: Thanks for the links, needed a good laugh. My future is in my hands, I will not allow myself to fail. "For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer" A.S.

 

Didn't mean to imply that you would put the screws to unsuspecting folks. But there are dirtbags out there who will and won't think twice about it--all for the quick, easy buck.

For starters, check out a website called realestateinvestor.com. There are a few tons of information/education on that website (although more and more it seems to be another venue for some folks to advertise the products/services they have to sell. If you look beyond all that you'll see that there is a terrific amount of info on this site. Things like wholesaling, lease-options, short sales--odds are that you haven't heard of any of these things and that's ok.) Plenty of real estate investing blogs out there as well with some real life experiences.

I suspect that if you can channel some of your drive and sit down for a couple of hours a day and read and learn about real estate stuff for the next few weeks/months and then take action on what you have learned, you will be very well postioned (enviably so) to be financially free by age 30 if not sooner (just my opinion).

Now, I am FAR from a real estate expert, but I truly think that this is a wonderful time to, at the very least, do some serious research in this field to see if it might interest you.

 

Nice, I live my life based upon the three fundamental choices:

Adapt, Move or Die

The choice is always yours and if you ever have any questions feel free to PM me. I won't boost your ego and I'll always shoot you straight.

Best of luck my friend.

 

He makes a good point.

If you want to simulate a week in the life of a pilot, take that flight sim and try this:

Regional Pilot:

Get up at 0400 on Monday and dress for work. Since you probably don't live in your base, you will need to commute. Hop on a city bus and ride it around town for a few hours (keep in mind, each bus you get on MUST have an open seat, otherwise, you must wait for the next). This is your commute.

Okay, so now around 1500, go back home, hop on that computer, and start your trip. Fly four legs, each an hour long, in real time. Prior to each leg, go out to your car, check the oil, tires, and coolant level (to simulate a preflight), then balance your checkbook (to simulate filling out a manifest). Try to finish these four legs in and the other tasks by 2100 when you are released from duty.

Now you have 10 hours of rest. Stand outside for 15 minutes, then drive 15 minutes to your "hotel" (any place that isnt home), and enjoy your time off.

Day two show time is 0700, so get up, dress, eat, etc., then head drive back to that computer to be on time. Today you have seven one hour legs with departures at 0800, 0930, 1115, 1245, 1415, 1555, and 1720. Remember to preflight and fill out that manifest each leg. At 1835, duty out and drive to that hotel.

Day three show time is 0530. Seven more legs today. You are scheduled to be done at 1700, but the weather has gotten crappy. Your second leg departs 90 minutes late. Also, extend the taxi time of the fifth and sixth legs by 30 minutes. You finally duty out at 1945.

Head to that hotel.

Day four show time is 0400. Had you stayed on time yesterday, you would have had 11 hours of rest, but becuase you finished late, you only had 8:15. Between the drive to and from the hotel, your need to eat a meal or two, and time required to shave, shower, and s@@t, you net about four hours of sleep. The good news is you only have five legs and the weather has cleared. Things go well, and you finish up around 1300. At last your trip is done.

All you need to do, is commute home. Hop on that city bus for another four hours, then head home.

Corporate pilot:

Monday morning your boss wants to depart at 0800, so have everything ready by then. He shows at 0810, and you are wheels up by 0815 for the 1:30 hour flight. His meeting will take all afternoon, so plan a 1700 departure. During the dead time, go sit at your local FBO. Fill your time by reading, watching tv, dozing, or playing on your laptop. The boss gets back at 1730, and you get back to base by 1900. Post flight, drive home and you are home by 2000.

Tuesday's departure is 0800 again. At 0930, you get a call from the boss saying the flight is canceled today. Reschedule it for tomorrow.

Wednesday 0800 you depart on time for a 45 minute flight. The boss wants to return at 1500. Around noon, you walk over to the BBQ place across the street for lunch. Just as your food arrives, your phone rings: the meeting was cut short, he is at the airport and wants to leave now. You box up your lunch and jog back to the plane, rush through a preflight and fly home.

Thursday, departure is scheduled for 1200, returning at 1700. Sitting in the FBO, the clock passes, 1700, 1800, and 1900. At 1925, the boss shows (he decided to take the client out to dinner). You fly home, put the plane to bed and are done by 2100.

Friday, no flights.

Saturday starts a three day weekend. The boss wants you to fly him and "a couple friends" to Vail to go hiking. The plan is to leave at 0800 for the 3:50 flight. When the gang arrives, "a couple of friends" ends up being seven people eiach with a couple hundred pounds of gear. Luckily, you expected this and didn't fuel the plane. As you load the bags, the fueler arrives and you tell him half tanks. At the same time, you tell your boss that a fuel stop is required. He understands, but one guy (a pre solo pilot) chimes in with, "I thought this thing could make it all the way there on one tank." You explain the weight issue to him and he gets it. But, having done such a good job teaching him weight and balance, he decides he wants to ride in the right seat. He does, and for the entire flight, he bugs you with questions and his own "expertise". You spend the weekend in a hotel, while your budies back home are having cook outs.

 

What he said.

What he didn't say was all the crap that you could experience on those 7 leg days (by the way, when was the last time you ate?).

Or about missing your commute home and having to spend hours of wasted time in a grubby crash pad with some log-sawing SOBs.

Great post.

 

Learn how to make a real living first. Then goof off with flying or art. Neither really offer any stability.

Skyhigh

 

Thanks. I would have said more, but I didnt want to be pessimistic.

 

FLYjsh.... That Was CLASSIC.......

 

Justin,

All the above advice is spot on as far as the industry these days. The only thing I would add is, if after you tour Flight Safety, see if you can get a (Discovery) flight I believe it's called to see how you like being in a plane. If you decide that a flying career is what you truly want, then the next step is getting the best training for the money.

Two bits of advice that I recieved when I was in your shoes that I'll pass on to you.

1) Flight Safety is a great Flight School but it does come a a rather high price. If your family can afford the costs up front thats great no prob. However, there are many flight schools in your area that offer flight training at significantly lower prices.

2) MULTI ENGINE TIME IS EVERYTHING!!!! Get as much as you can!!! Most professional flying jobs (but not all) involve operating twin engine aircraft, wether it be a light prop, corporate turbo prop, regional jets etc.., you get the picture. Many of the first companies that you will fly for are looking at you multi-engine flying experience.., the more the better. 100 hrs ME time is usually the minimum so again the more the better! Look for Schools that offer a multi engine flight training program. ATP and Ariben Aviator come to mind.

If you haven't done so already, take a look at the "Airline Profiles" link on the right side of the APC home page. Look at the hiring minimums for Cargo, Part 135, Regional Carriers. It'll be difficult to find because few are hiring right now but they are there.

A good example I drew at random was Compass Airlines
They are a regional Jet Carrier that operates the Embrear 175. As you scroll down the screen look under the "Hiring" Tab and you might find this type of info...

Minimums:
1,500 TT : (Means 1500hrs (TT) TOTAL flying TIME required)

1,000 ME: (ME means Multi Engine Time required)

Eligible for ATP: Basically means that you need to have passed your Airline Transport Pilot Written Test.

Current class 1: You have a current Class one Flight Physical

Again this is just an example but it gives you an idea of where you need to be in order for this carrier to even consider you as a hiring candidate. There are many other carriers who's hiring mins will vary higher or lower so look around, do your research. Once you begin flight training, you'll learn much more about the industry from other students/Instructors and so on.

Finally, you should pursue a NON-AVIATION 4 yr degree (ART perhaps). This way if the flying thing doesn't work out or a furlough come's along.., you have a back up profession to fall back on ; ) The 4 yr degree also fills the "Degree" square in your resume when you are looking for jobs at the Major Carriers years from now. In any event it's a good thing to have to be competitive for hiring.

Another great website that I received tons of great advice was "JetCareers.com" Best of luck to you, Justin! If you have any other questions feel free to PM me, I'll be happy to answer them. Take care.

 

FlyJSH: If things were that bad for my entire career I would probably jump off a cliff or a plane...lol.

SkyHigh: I'm now looking at real estate, among other areas.

FlyJSHL: Some of you guys make it sound like aviation is a miserable profession.

Beechlover: Thanks. I will ask about the discovery. Some of the cheaper schools seem more like "pilot factories". I did not know pilots needed so much time on multi, thanks for enlightening me. I really don't know much about the business. I'm working on my 4 yr and I'm majoring in art, but I still have time to change my major...But, I really don't know how valuable a business degree is these days?