College Student needing career advice...

[SBD]

Like others have said, finish your degree!!!! I got my degree in '98 and worked the typical 9 to 5 for a few years. Bored out of my mind I decided to get into aviation. An education in something non-aviation related is a real bonus. Do your research and choose a flight school that will best suit you. The flight academies are overpriced but provide excellent training. A FBO is cheaper but make sure you are happy if you choose that route. You can get excellent flight training at an FBO. The degree is something to fall back on if you loose interest in aviation or get the pink slip at an airline. I hope this helps.

 

[SBD]

Also if you have the oppurtunity for Uncle Sam to pay for it, do it!

 

[mhcasey]

To all who have replied,

Thanks a million for all of the info. These posts have already been a huge help. For now, I'm going to try to finish up my undergrad work, and just decided to add a business minor to help me get the 8-5 job I'll probably hate that will pay for me to get ratings and what not (a bit of joking there).

Thanks especially to you Navy guys. I guess it just hadn't dawned on me that I probably wouldn't just get to fly F-15's all day everyday. I'm still considering the Air National Guard, but I'm probably going to see if I can go the civilian route first. Rest assured I would not join simply to get my flying paid for - aside from the oppurtunity to fly some really cool planes, I think it would be awesome to be on the ready to defend America should the need ever arise (I acknowledge that that is a way oversimplified idea of what the Air National Guard is).

About my "cheapskate" dad...I guess I should have made clear that he is paying for my college education, including living expenses until I graduate, as well as my private pilot license, and helps out here and there with my various really expensive hobbies here at school (ice hockey, cycling, etc.). He's provided me with plenty and then some, so don't consider him a "cheapskate." Keep in mind, even the senior AA pilots aren't making what they did pre-9/11 either. My Dad is being tossed around between flying a line and reserves. However, I'm sure if I ever run into trouble, he'll be there to help out. I think he wants me to pay for everything post-private license to insure that it's something I'm really dedicated to, and I want to pay for it inasmuch as I can to prove to myself the same thing.

I'll keep you guys posted on my progress, and hope you all will continue to help me out as I go. I know there have been similar posts in the past; I just threw this one out there in case anyone had any recommendations especially specific to my case. I'll continue to search the forums for more info.

Thanks again everyone. Please continue to post if you can think of anything else that might be helpful for me.

 

[mhcasey]

OK here's an update...

Having read your responses and talked to a few young pilots out there, I am thouroughly convinced that I need to finish up this undergrad degree, and make it my number one priority. Fortunately, I was looking at the courses I've taken vs. courses I still need to take, and it looks like I'm going to be able to take 12 hours of classes each semester my junior year, and then just write a thesis for the honors program I'm in my senior year, and I'll be done with a double major in Plan II Honors (reminder - it's a UT specific and really cool program) and Philosophy, with history and business minors. I'm considering just finishing up the thesis my second semester next year so I can be out of here in 3 years, but more than likely I'll just stretch out the courseload a bit and take a few random classes my senior year while writing the thesis. My thinking is that if I can stick around for 2 more years instead of just 1, that's an additional year of living on Dad's health insurance and flying (as a passenger) for close to nothing with American. I figure I can take a few days of classes a week, and on my days off I'll head to the airport and work my way towards CFI, which hopefully I'll have by the end of my junior year so that I can instruct a ton during the summer and through my senior year, hopefully building enough time to at least be well on my way to getting that low paying regional job I've always dreamed of ; ) Somewhere in there I'll get a good job so that I can pay as I go instead of falling into debt.

In all likelihood, I won't be ready for the regionals right out of school (correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems near impossible), so maybe I'll get my teaching certificate or get some other job to pay for the rest of my training/hours and maybe even a family, though I haven't yet found the lucky lady...

My private training is going really well. The first flight was a bit stressful, but now everytime up I feel great.

I heard from a good friend from high school recently who got his Private License just for kicks. Apparently, his Dad also got his private just for kicks, and ended up buying a Cessna 182. I'm thinking next summer I might go back home to DFW and fly that thing is much as possible, and hopefully be a CFI up there for the summer. There is an additional rating I need to get to fly the 182 though, correct?

As far as other hours...I know this is probably in other posts, but with the regionals in mind, what kind of flying do I really need to be doing beyond the hours I'll pick up getting to my CFI? How many hours of multi engine will I need? How many hours of flying aerobatic or gliders would apply towards getting hired by a regional (I'm planning on doing both regardless of how many hours I can check off on a regional application, I'm just curious as to how many hours I will actually be able to check off). Do you guys recommend doing some tailwheel training at some point also?

I'm starting to volunteer to clean airplanes in hopes that I can fly them for cheap. Eventually, would you all recommend getting a line job fueling planes or anything like that? I figure something along those lines will keep me at the airport which will hopefully help me get my foot in the door with whoever is around. I guess I'll have to wait to see if I'm a CFI and a full time student (have to stay full time - I think 9hrs/semester - to have health insurance) if I'll have time to work at the airport too, but it seems like it's been done by mostly everyone here.

Dad's out asking around I'm sure, but I haven't had a chance to talk to him much lately because he's (fortunately) been flying a lot and doing tons of home improvement projects because my folks are selling our house to move into something smaller with cheaper taxes and hopefully no mortgage. I'm heading home for Easter in a few weeks, so I'm sure we'll talk a lot more about it then. He's always wanted me to get the degree first and then worry about flying, which I guess has turned out to be great advice.

Alright I need to get back to the Jep book and get some rest. I'll check in later when I've got news to report.

Thanks again to everyone!