0 hours to CFI...What to do?

[Bombgod]

In 2 months exactly I will be getting out of the Marine Corps, with 0 hours of flight time, and I will be enrolling in a School????? That has the best program for going from PPL-Instruments-Commerical-Multi Commerical-CFI-CFII, and maybe a little Multi Instructor too. I also want to complete my BA Degree after completing flight training up to CFI, so I need a school that is tied in to a degree program.

I have been reading thread after thread trying to see what people have to say about all the shchools out their and I have even visited Markarion Institute of Aeronautics here in California, I want to stay in the area, and go to the best school, that can do VA benifits, and not rip me off!

What is the best trainging rout to go (PPL-CFI or what?), and does anyone else have experience with using the VA benifits recently?

I have talked to DCA, but thanks to the threads in this forums and others I have decided to choose other options , Thanks Everyone!!!!!

 

[bobbysamd]

College flight programs

You will need to go to a Part 141 school if you want to use your GI Bill benefits for flight training.

A good place to start might be to check into colleges with flight programs. You likely would earn an Aeronautical Science degree along with your certificates.

You might begin by investigating Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. I instructed there. ERAU is a school that people either love or hate, but, at least it's a place for you to start. ERAU provides a great pilot education and carries great name recognition in the industry. There are any number of other private and public college flight programs that will do the same job and may be less expensive than Riddle.

Another idea is Mesa Airlines Pilot Development in Farmington, New Mexico. Mesa Airlines operates this school, with graduates being eligible to interview for an FO job with Mesa at 300 hours. I instructed there, also. Commercial-Instrument-Multi (and maybe Commercial Single) certificates and an A.S. in Aviation Technology are earned in this program. It accepts GI Bill benefits.

Three things to bear in mind about MAPD: (1) A common misconception is the airline interview is guaranteed; it is not guaranteed. Though the interview is yours to lose, you still have to do everything properly and act properly to keep it; (2) Being hired is not guaranteed, and (3) You may be accepted but placed in a hiring pool for an indeterminate period; in the meantime, your skills are eroding at a time when they should be used and honed.

I am sure there are other university flight programs where earning an aviation degree is not required.

Hope that gets you started. Good luck with your training, and thanks for serving us.

 

[Flechas]

Good thing you didn't go to DCA.
If you go to Riddle, or any other university, I recomend you get all your ratings before going there, it will take a lot less time. Then when you are getting your degree you can also do instruction to get some cash and to build your time while you finish your degree, that way when you are done with school, you may be able to go to a regional or some other job.
Try to see if FSI has VA benefits, I highly recomend it.

 

[bobbysamd]

Fsi

Try to see if FSI has VA benefits, I highly recomend it.

Having instructed there as well as the other schools I wrote about above, I, too, recommend FlightSafety. It is a Part 141 school and likely qualifies for veterans' benefits. It, too, is expensive, but the quality is excellent and the FSI name carries name recognition.

I would have written about FlightSafety above, but the poster seemed interested in college degree/flight programs only.

 

[pilotyip]

Alternate Career Path Part II

Get your ratings from a non-university based certificate mill that may take your GI bill benefits. Get your private. Join the Army National Guard as a weekend warrior, continue civiliain flying on the side, put in for Rotor Wing Flt School. This is an alternate career path I have seen succeed. We are hiring a 21-yr. old Army C-12 driver who followed this career path. BTW no college degree required along this path.

 

[bobbysamd]

Degree debate redux

Get your ratings from a non-university based certificate mill that may take your GI bill benefits. Get your private. Join the Army National Guard as a weekend warrior, continue civiliain flying on the side, put in for Rotor Wing Flt School. This is an alternate career path I have seen succeed. We are hiring a 21-yr. old Army C-12 driver who followed this career path. BTW no college degree required along this path.

. . . never mind the glass ceiling that a degree can pierce.

You will find you still need the degree. Get it sooner, rather than deferring it, and get it out of the way.

 

[Goose Egg]

I'm steering clear of this one.

-Goose

 

[pilotyip]

Oh! Boy oh! boy

Welcome back Bobby, Goose is a chicken, trust me 167 of the 172 airlines could care less about a degree. This man is leaving the military, he is older, if goes the degree first route he will be getting a late start in the flying business. He needs his rating and quality time building jobs. He can do his degree on the side, if he feels he needs that to make the final leap in his career. Bobby surprised I never saw you chime in on the "Fallback value of the College Degree". Most guys agreed with me, after being flying for 20 years and becoming unemployed they found their college degree had little value in the job market.

 

[CheeseHead13]

Having instructed there as well as the other schools I wrote about above, I, too, recommend FlightSafety. It is a Part 141 school and likely qualifies for veterans' benefits. It, too, is expensive, but the quality is excellent and the FSI name carries name recognition.

I would have written about FlightSafety above, but the poster seemed interested in college degree/flight programs only.

FSI does qualify for veterans benifits, all the way through CFI. My student used his VA benifits here and saved a ton of money and the training and student moral is excellent.

 

[Bombgod]

Thank you for all your guys support, I guess I should say that I have about 40 units I completed already, and I am only 24 years old, so I dont think that I am getting off to a late start, I planed that I would be gettting all my ratings and building hours for about 2 years before I go fly for someone, I really dont want to go back into the military (and could never join the army, no offense), because I would probably be sent back to Iraq, and thats ok, but I need to get started with my career, and that would delay it. I spent 8 months in the sand.

This Forum is great, everyone's input really helps, and I will keep updated threads, so maybe it will help other Veterans out if they decide to take the path that I have, to become The Best........Pilot in the world