Getting Hired At 20yrs. Old

[Stifler's Mom]

Embry Riddle Football...still undefeated.

Distance learning? Getting hired at 19, 20, 21? Why would you want to do this to yourself? Why are there so many people trying to avoid going to college full time, with dorms, girls, and beer? There was a 20 year old in my new hire class that had no college experience and now, 6 months later, he's wiped out from flying regional 121 and wants to change careers. I did the 4 years of college, flight instructed for a year, and got to my regional at age 23. I still have 42 years of flying (age 65) so what's the rush???

Go to a real college...one that has a big time athletic program. One where the Homecoming Court isn't paraded around during the halftime of the school's men's soccer game.

Besides, Garritto's avatar might be your lab partner for science class.

 

[PCL_128]

I would choose 1 and live my life on campus hosting keggers and skipping class, for the rest of my life.

The guys that argue with theses statements never did this, and are rationalizing this to them selfs by trying to clown on it.

"Clown on it?" I don't think any of us are trying to "clown on it." Some people just have different priorities, and not everyone wants to spend four years of their life at college. Why do you think that everyone has to live life the way you did?

Everybody's different. Traditional college is good for some people, but it's not for everyone.

 

[flyinhigh21]

I already have gone to a "real" college for 2 years. I am about 80-90% done with my bachelor's. I have fun, trust me. It's not so much that I'm "in a hurry" as much as I just wonder if it is possible to get hired if I am qualified flight time wise before I happen to be 21. Thanks to all for offering your replies!!

 

[Lear70]

Sure, you can get hired. With the pilot shortages facing the regionals if you had even ONE internal rec, I can think of 3 or 4 places that would snap you up and throw you in a CRJ in a heartbeat.

PCL is right, some people simply don't want to party every night or play football (thank GOD it's August again), but if you're one of those people who enjoy college, I'd get out there and party while you're still young enough to grab those late-teen college girls.

Unless you're rolling in money or have the comedic talent of Tom Hanks or Jeff Foxworthy and the looks of Tom Cruise, the ability to land them past 35 recedes faster than my hairline...

Personally, if I had it to do over again, instead of going to MTSU which has one of the worst football teams of all time, I'd likely go to Notre Dame or UGA and LIVE ON CAMPUS this time instead of at home and then go on to Law School while still getting my ratings on the side.

Just a thought. Good luck to you!

 

[JSky26]

Everything said about college on this thread puts a smile on my face...because it's so damn true...

Hell, I'm typing this hungover as hell....it's frickin' Wednesday! They would call that alcoholism if I weren't in school. But hey, you only live once. I've got one year left at this place and I'm trying to take it to the fullest.

College has been the best decision of my life.

Yeah I'm an aviation major, but I didn't go to a place like ERAU. I go to a big state school that has a smaller flight program....along with the above stated...beer, chicks, parties, football (Lear, I hear ya about football season comin' around), basketball (sweet sixteen last year)..etc. There's only about 200 of us against the 20,000 that attend the university.

I'm instructing now for the school and yeah, I'm not building the time I could somewhere else and it doesn't pay all that well but it's a good gig. I have a friend that left school at 19 when he was a freshman to go to a regional. He saw the opportunity that a couple regionals were hiring and went for it. It turns out that 3 years later they are still hiring and even moreso than before! He definetly missed out and he knows it... I feel bad for the guy. The grass is not always greener....

We have a LONG career of flying ahead of ourselves....why enter adulthood prematurely?:beer:

 

[Papps]

Enjoy college to the fullest. You miss so much cool stuff if you enter the real world before you have to. Notice the far away gaze that us working folks get when we talk about our college days.

College is gods way of saying "sorry for what im about to put you through" hehe

 

[poor2thecore]

I have a little different perspective, but somewhat one the same lines. A large 4-year would have put a financial burden on my parents, and I didn't want them in that situation with 2 other younger siblings planning on college as well. I made the decision to join the military (NAVY) instead. 1) The travel is awesome. 2) With the benefits I will have the ability to finance my bachelors, and continue that even further and get my masters.

At 19 years old, I've crossed the Atlantic twice by ship, transited the Suez Canal, and have been to Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Crete, Bahrain, Seychelles, and a small African country called Djibouti. I've enjoyed 2 dollar beers (way too many ) with some of my best friends half way around the world in Bahrain, snorkeled in Seychelles with amazing gorgeous German chick on holiday, and went wine tasting in southern France. This is only 1 year of being in the Navy.

Yes, it isn’t college, and I don't live the dorm life, but I am actively pursuing a degree, getting paid, flying 2-3 times a week and working towards my instrument rating, and get to see the world on Uncle Sam's dime, plus some of the people you meet here will be friends for life.

I used to be all jung ho about getting to a regional at 20, but its experiences like the gentlemen above and myself that makes it worth looking back at, and laughing. A job is a job... but fun stuff in your early life is something you can only experience once.

I still have 3 years left, lots of drinking, crazy port visits, plenty of time to go to school, and tons of time to fly. I'll get out with a bunch of cool stories, my ratings, half of my BA (or an AA), instruct, and find my way to a regional about the time I turn 23, then start up again taking night classes to finish my BA. Still incredibly young in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Kids, you'll be flying all your life. There's a small window for attending college and getting the partying out of your system. Do it while you can. No one ever has regrets about going to college. The other way around, I'm not so sure.

Remember, there's a lot more to life than flying airplanes. Go get cultured and educated with a liberal arts degree. The flying will still be here when you're done.

In fact, you can get through college in 3 years if you want. I did it in 3 and a half.

 

[pilotyip]

I regret going to college I could have been a Delta Captain, never laid off, if I had skipped college. Could have started Navy Flt training in 1963, got out in 1968, almost a shoe in for a job a DAL. I know too many non-degreed guys that pulled it off.

 

[QuasarZ]

Kids, you'll be flying all your life. There's a small window for attending college and getting the partying out of your system. Do it while you can. No one ever has regrets about going to college. The other way around, I'm not so sure.

Remember, there's a lot more to life than flying airplanes. Go get cultured and educated with a liberal arts degree. The flying will still be here when you're done.

In fact, you can get through college in 3 years if you want. I did it in 3 and a half.

I totally agree.. Ill be done in 3.5 as well. So far college has been a blast. So many great friends, stories, oh boy do I have stories.. haha, great teacher recomendations and this is only after two years. Granted, I do love flying and would like to start my career now, but I have the rest of my life for that.

 

[PCL_128]

No one ever has regrets about going to college.

Actually, I've heard plenty of guys say that they wish they had skipped college and gone straight into flying.

 

[Papps]

Actually, I've heard plenty of guys say that they wish they had skipped college and gone straight into flying.

Those guys probably spent a lot of nights alone in their dorm rooms playing flight sim and watching tom cruise trying to get out of a flat spin.

 

[Volasl]

Ive done two IOE's recently that were both 20 at PSA. In fact one had just turned 20. Listen to everyone and go to college. This career will always be here. I can do anything with an MBA however what can an ATP/Commercial (age 20) do for me in the business world.

 

[d328pilot]

I left college after 1 year and started flying 135 and did school on the side. Later I was hired at 20 years old at PSA. If I had to do it all over again, i wouldnt change a thing. I am very happy with the way things have turned out. I finished my BA on the side and you can do the same with a Masters too.

 

[pilotyip]

Mba?

volsat; you have to decide on what you want to be a MBA or a pilot. There are no guarantees that a MBA makes you employable. If is a pilot, you fly airplanes and build resume stuff. It will take approximately 10 years to get to a career position in aviation. You have to commit to the time frame to make it. To not fly and get an MBA may be fun but it does nothing for your flying career. Now to get one on the side, nothing wrong with that, it is a useful degree helps you understand money, investing, etc. However the fall back value of a MBA in greatly over rated. I have a BS and a Master's in Management, but at age 53, I was making $250/wk loading cargo. After Zantop pretended to go out of went out of business in 1997, I had been a temporary High School Chemistry Teacher up until two weeks before the cargo job came along. However, they do not teach school in the summer so I had to take the cargo job. The value of an unused degree is highly over rated. 53 year old unemployed airline pilots are not eagerly greeted in any industry that I know of, even of having a couple degrees. Of course, I did not apply for many of the "College degree preferred jobs" such as apt manager, telephone direct sales, and plumping floor manager at Home Depot, etc. If you get a college degree you have to use, the knowledge gained in college to develop a career or the degree is useless. After getting a degree, flying an airplane is not a knowledge expanding experience; it is skill development experience. Anyone care to chime in and share their experiences on entering the non-aviation job market after being out of college 20-30 years? BTW. D328, that made the right choice about advancing in this career, unless you get your flight time in the military, smart kid, I bet you are is going to do well.

 

[Volasl]

My point was that you never get your youth back. I see so many new hires now owing over 100k in flight training now. Its very hard for many of them to go back and get just a BS. A 4 year degree opens up many opportunities outside aviation.

Not saying its wrong to go straight to a flying career but what is a few years to enjoy life, grow up,get an education and have a backup plan in life.

 

[pilotyip]

If fun is the primary reason for going to college and running up a $100K in debt, then by all means go to college full time and have a ball. But if getting into a cockpit and starting your flying career is your primary goal then full time college is not necessary. Part time having your employer help you pay for it is the best way to go.

 

[DX Rick]

. There is nothing worse than being in a hotel in Midland, TX on a Friday night when your friends are out partying.

Was it not football season? Should have gone and watched the HS game. Hell, at 20 yrs old, you can still land some HS chicks.

 

[vetrider]

I'm getting sick of listening to the saturday night crowd on my layovers these days. I'd have been arrested if i'd have had a sledge hammer or a gun on my last one.

The only thing the young pup pilots have missed is being a dumbass whooping and yelling, definately nothing to rue.

I must be gettin old or something.

 

[wickedpilot]

Originally Posted by flyinhigh21
Well the reason I ask is because I am thinking of doing the CFI program at ATP and then instructing there. The thing is that I don't turn 21 until the end of April 2008. I would like to instruct at ATP because multi time is scarce around home, but I don't really want to instruct there from now until next April. That would burn the crap out of me. I also have a good friend who is a 2nd year FO at Pinnacle who will definately give me a rec letter, and that is my number 1 choice due to bases (I want DTW). That rec, coupled with the rec I could get from ATP if I do their free RJ course might be enough to get me in at less than 21, you think?

Yeah I'm so tired of hearing people bitch about having to instruct. Like was said before, we all had to pay our dues, and we instructed for at least a year before moving on. You really learn about flying once you do it. And you know what, I'm still in my 20's and am all the better for having gone that route.

I found Flight Instructing to be one of the most beneficial, fun, risky, and worth-while endeavors in my aviation career. Having to fly the airplane 'through another person' (figuratively speaking) requires skill and earns you experience.

I often find myself getting bored of flying high and fast with the "cruise control" on. To keep my sainity, it takes the ocassional weekend of flying low and slow with the door off. It's exciting to have some 8 hr student sitting next to you white knuckled on the yoke bouncing down the pavement relying on your expertise to keep him alive and the airplane in one piece.

I'm not saying to become a career flight instructor or even to flight instruct for longer than you have to, I'm just saying if you have the opportunity and can live off PB n J's and ramen for a year or two, then you won't regret it.

 

[Sinca3]

I just flew with a new hire FO that came from ATP as an instructor and was only 20yrs old.
So to answer your question ASA hires people under 21yrs old.