freezingflyboy mentioned something thats exactly right: the true joys of flying. I can't wait to get my hands on a CRJ, but at the same time I don't think I'll ever give up flying small airplanes. Jetliners can be a blast to fly, but at the same time there is a work aspect to it. You have to fly where you're told, when you're told, etc. As far as jobs go it's great. As far as pure enjoyment goes, not as much. Theres still nothing like puttering over the scenery at 1000 feet.

I plan on being an active life-long pilot with Civil Air Patrol and I'm looking forward to aircraft ownership, something like a C152 or an old-school Cherokee 140. If I can get it to look and sound nice enough, I could even take it around to local airport open-houses and show it off. Thats just my little fantasy

 

Yeah, like Mike said. The big factory schools will have an approved list of destination airports, none of which are likely to be particularly challenging. Go to some places which interest you, maybe mountains or dirt strip fields. make sure you have the familiarization training and insurance coverage for where you want to go.

EVERY aviation job I've ever had was obtained by knowing someone who I had met in the aviation world. The two best jobs I've had would have been almost impossible to obtain without knowing someone. This is not to say that you need an uncle who's an airline chief pilot. You'll have plenty of opportunities to meet folks during your training and CFI phase.

 

I had way more fun flying and flight instructing at LEX and FKR than I ever did flying & flight instructing during my time at Purdue. Purdue (and all universities) have a time-proven curriculum set up...but such curriculum is built to minimize risk and therefore generally limits the learning often gained from new airports and new challenges. I personally think these programs often create new pilots who are redundant on technology (GPS) and do them an injustice when it comes to ADM skills. At Purdue we never discussed marshalling hand/wand signals; had to learn those on my own. We also never gassed our own airplanes. I am afraid that advanced technology primary trainers will create a crop of new commercial pilots that don't know how to do a single-nav hold, fly 'steam gauges' or the proper procedure for landing on a short and/or grass strip...and that is unfortunate.

I *did* get to fly MDW-FWA for my long instrument cross-country though thanks to my instructor who liked to experience new things (and she had never been to MDW). Flying an ILS at 130kts to the 31C MM in an Arrow with a DC-9 up your butt was real-world experience I never got flying the ILS 10 at KLAF.

 

The idea of a new crop of 300 hour PFT pilots with no steam gauge experience is sobering.

 

Well we all PFT'd for our ratings (unless you were military) if you think about it...but not everybody bought their job flying a turbine aircraft!

Single nav holding and short field landing ability don't make a competent 121 pilot, but they sure as heck make a well-rounded pilot that knows more than "gear up speed mode, heading mode, autopilot on".

Aviation universities are great...but people who don't do any flying outside of those programs (and there are alot that I personally know that don't) are doing themselves, their future captains, and their future FOs a GREAT disservice by doing so.

 

WWFlyBoy,

I went to a high priced flight training program after I got my PVT. The excitement of the career and all the "positives" that I heard from people in addition to the marketing/advertisement is what drove me into the flight training program.

I'm single, 34, and thought the flying gig would be a great career change move. That is, until I graduated CAPT with a HUGE debt, and met with the unpleasantness of the low pay scale and reading all the people on this board who I believe have provided their honest views of the quality of life. Not to mention the poor placement assistance I got from CAPT. Unlike you, I don't have a wife, which to me, would be a great asset since she can get herself a job and provide a level of financial stability. So in your case, you may stand a chance, but DON'T FOOL YOURSELF in thinking that the low pay will get you anywhere. I figured out that in the next 5 years, I can clear close to $500K doing what I was doing vs. the first 5 years as an FO at ASA and Pinnacle and come close to about $130-145K.

My advice to you is, look VERY CAREFULLY over the financials before you get into this game. If you're 23, single, and got no strings, this aviation career would be a great start. But folks like you and me, well, it's a whole different ball of wax.

Someone here mentioned that you get your ratings and then find jobs to time build. It's a good suggestion, but you need to understand the ramifications of that stepping stone as well. Most likely, it won't pay you very well, and it'll be a long time coming before you can build enough hours to even be considered by the airlines. You can be looking at many years at this stepping stone.

Someone else mentioned that you can supplement your salary. While this is true, you have to consider that your schedule is not yours to command. It's the airline's. This means that unless you can find a part time gig with an employer that's going to be cool with you walking out the door as soon as scheduling calls you, you're not likely to find a second job. You could start your own business but again, bear in mind the Bat-Phone phenomenon. Since you said you are a truck driver, I doubt you'll be able to use that as a second job. So if you have another skill that can be used to bring in a second income, take that into consideration as well. You can try to ask around as to what others are doing to have a second income to supplement the criminal pay scale at the regional FO level. I have a feeling you probably won't get too many responses. It's like the "guarded secret" as to how someone can supplement their flying income with something else fearing that you might cut into their slice of the pie. This might be worth a new thread: How are you supplementing your Pilot income? Details only please.

While I'm not discrediting what Express Pilot told you as far as staying focused and positive, that's all good ONCE you made your decision to pursue this career AFTER carefully examining your situation, and what you're about to get yourself into.

Obviously you enjoy flying. I enjoy flying too. But I also enjoy:
* not putting my loan on deferment or forebearance
* being close to friends and family
* more conducive to building meaningful relationships
* live where I want to live
* making a lot more money
* FLY when and where I want to (albeit in a piston light airplane, weather permitting)
* and lots more...

You can't f*ck around at your age with trying to get into the regionals. A hard and expensive lesson I learned. So hopefully, you can benefit from my experiences and not make the mistakes I made. Best regards.

 

Don't you just love these guys who start a thread with a question and then you never hear from them again?

SkyHigh

 

Maybe the guy only has access to the Internet at cafes with access points. Maybe he just ran out of money for more minutes.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for all of the response that I received.

 

Thanks to all who responded. I will give you more info about my situation if you want or need it to give a more detailed response. I keep getting bumped off line so I am wanting to keep it short for today because I have replied to this three times already.