Can a poor person become a professional pilot?

[UA-RESURRECTED]

I live at home, only because that allows enough money to fly and whatnot. My parents don't pay for ANYTHING. I have to work 40 hours a week. I drive a 4-cylinder pickup-truck that is 10 years old.

Can I become a professional pilot without my parents giving me money? Anyone else done it????

 

[timeoff]

How old are you?

 

[FN FAL]

Can a poor person beome a professional pilot?

Becoming a professional pilot can make you poor.


Wouldn't it be cheaper to simply go to the rave and jump into the mosh pit and get the crap kicked out of yourself?

 

[kingsize]

I live at home, only because that allows enough money to fly and whatnot. My parents don't pay for ANYTHING. I have to work 40 hours a week. I drive a 4-cylinder pickup-truck that is 10 years old.

Can I become a professional pilot without my parents giving me money? Anyone else done it????

NO.

Wait, that's what the military is for.

 

[ReportCanoa]

Go to the bank and get a loan. Doctors, lawyers, nurses, computer programmers- all pay for their education. Unfortunately, there are too many pilots on the market right now, and your starting pay will reflect that. You may not even see a return for 10 years. But hey, that's life...

 

[JumpCaptain]

It's a tough call. Of course, it will depend on how much you make and where you're doing your flying.

Starting with no time, I'm guessing you could get a comercial-multi-instrument for 25K-35K. Perhaps one of the current flight instructors or FBO guys on here could verify that for me.

It will make a huge difference if you are flying a $60/hr 150 in the midwest or a $150/hr 172 in Hawaii.

A lot of the big FBO's are offering financing options now, so you could just put the whole thing on lone if you really wanted.

 

[JumpCaptain]

Go to the bank and get a loan. Doctors, lawyers, nurses, computer programmers- all pay for their education. Unfortunately, there are too many pilots on the market right now, and your starting pay will reflect that. You may not even see a return for 10 years. But hey, that's life...

Very true.

In the 90's their were stories of guys at the majors making $400K a year and only flying six days a month. Because of that, a lot of people got into flying thinking that that’s the life they would live.

Now, it's ten years later and with all the concessions their are a lot of guys who are tens of thousand of dollars in debt and they only make $25,000 a year at a regional, flying nineteen days a month. So, now the industry is stocked with pilots who are unhappy and looking to get out.

I guess the lesson learned is if you "enjoy" flying, stick with flying just for fun.
If you're obsessed with flying to the point that you dream about it and you know deep down that you will never be happy doing anything else in life, than you will definitely make it happen.

 

[Draginass]

Do yourself and any future family you might have and forget about aviation as a profession. The "profession" is dead. It's just a "job" now, and a very unstable one at that.

If you simply must do something in aviation, go to air traffic control school. You'll make a heck of a lot more money, live at home, and be treated marginally better.

 

[FL420]

I live at home, only because that allows enough money to fly and whatnot. My parents don't pay for ANYTHING. I have to work 40 hours a week. I drive a 4-cylinder pickup-truck that is 10 years old.

Can I become a professional pilot without my parents giving me money? Anyone else done it????

Just curious:
How old are you?
How far did you go in school?
What is the whatnot you are spending your earnings on?
Who pays the rent or mortgage on the house you are living in?
Who pays the taxes on the house you are living in?
Who pays the insurance on the house you are living in?
Who pays for the gas, electricity, water, sewer and trash pickup on the house you are living in?

You, of course, don't have to answer these admittedly personal questions. I am just hoping you don't fit the stereotype of the young person whining about his lot in life while ungratefully sponging off his parents.

Your quote "My parents don't pay for ANYTHING" was like a red flag in the face of this old dad who has been there before.

 

[mcjohn]

Working as a bellman in a fancy hotel paid for all my rating over a 3 year period. No help from others. You could also wait tables in a fine dining restraunt to pay for training.

If I could go back in time I'd probably do the military thing. If you have a four year degree you can become a warrant officer in the army and fly helicopters and not have much more responsibilty than to just fly.

Also, if you join the military with hopes of flying and don't make the cut you can wait till your time has been served, then civilian flight training can still be on the military's bill.