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Feasible or Realistic Plan?

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hepcat13

New member
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Posts
2
**I've posted this same message at others boards, I'm re-posting here to see what people on this board can add.

After reading a lot about flying careers, hearing stories of others, and reluctantly giving up on the military flying route because of age, I came up with a plan to fly for a major, cargo, or international airline in six years. I just wanted to know, form the experts, if my plan was feasible or realistic. Here it is:

-I am currently 28 (turning 29 in June 2006), and I'm prior enlisted in the military and currently working for the US Air Force in civil service and have a B.S. in Business from NYU with a very high GPA and Zero filght hours.
-I plan on starting flight training with Edwards AFB Aero Club in May and within a year earn at least my commercial, single engine, instrument rating by May of 2007.
-Beginning in Summer of 2007, I will attend the Advanced Airline Training Program at Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach, FL. There I get multi-engine rating, line operations experience, advanced simulator training in level "D" ERJ-145 Full flight sim (EFIS-FMS equipped), in a mock Part 121 training environment with required performance at ATP level. While enrolled in that program (and after passing the interview), students receive a conditional offer of employment for a FO position in a regional airline, because of agreements in place with their partners (ASA, TSA, ExpressJet, or American Eagle). Hopefully I get Expressjet, but anything will do.
-After almost a year of training at Flight Safety, I will begin work at the regional. Then after about three or four years of building hours and experience on low pay I plan on applying to a major, cargo, or international airline such as Cathay Pacific or Emirates as a FO or SO (Which, I was told by a 777 pilot for Emirates, is hiring a ton of pilots at the moment, and I love Dubai).
-I will relocate anywhere to get a job. I also love the life of travelling everyday, living out of hotels, and also actually prefer being domiciled outside of the US (which, from my Air Force experince, is nothing new).
-So I will be 34-35 by the time I'm at a major and will have 25 years left for my Pilot career.

Does this sound do-able? Or am I insane. Also is this realistic, or is there a better way? Please let me know before I undertake this long journey. Thanks in advance.

**Plus this was a reply to questions after posting on other sites:

Thanks for the dose of reality. I came up with this plan thinking I was based in reality because of all the stories I've read about and personal experiences pilots I know relayed to me about reaching the majors in shorter periods of time. But all of the stories must have either been bogus or the people were extremely lucky. So now I'm thinking, to make the majors (if ever), it would take more like 10-12 years, most likely more.

On a side note, all the training I will receive past PPL, because of my service to our country, will be paid by the VA Gi Bill (including Flight Safety). Also I paid for my undergrad education with a combination of active duty tuition assistance and student loans, which I have already paid off. So none of the training costs will come out of pocket. If this is the case, is it still not worth it?

Also, I wanted people to know I have dreamed of being a pilot ever since childhood, so pay and prestige is not what I'm after (but it would be nice of course). So if I ended up working at a reqional for the rest of my career, I would still be ecstatic, as long as I am a proffessional pilot.

In regards to what I would do if the regionals were not hiring, and I had to wait around for a class date, I have an open job offer at Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach, FL near Flight Safety in my current career field that pays well that I could take while waiting.

Also, because of my edcuation in Business and Finance, I have studied quite a bit on the state of the Airline industry, and I understand very well that it is not in good shape (domestically anyways). But it doesn't scare me, because if I ever lost my job in the airline I would always have my B.S. to fall back on and also, although not preferable, I could transfer to the "Dark Side" of the industry with my degree.

On the issue of training, I would love to train at the Aero Club because it is near my home and there are good Air Force people there but a problem exists because of the limited number of planes and instructors. To get all the neccessary ratings it would take a very long time, perhaps even long breaks in between ratings. Also the GI Bill won't give me as much money to train at the Aero Club as opposed to Flight Safety (where I would receive money for housing and living expenses also because it is a full time institution).

Anyways, thank you very much for the constructive criticism, and please keep it coming. So far, after hearing your comments, I am thinking Flight Saftey may not be the right path. Also I may have to give up on the idea of retiring after a long career in the airlines because it looks like it will take a very long time (if ever) for me to get a job with any sort of pension plan. Maybe I should just do this as a hobby or plan on working for the regionals in the far future after many years as a CFI. Any more comments would be appreciated.

**Sorry for the length, I'm just very hungry for info. Thanks
 
I was about to give you hell but if the government pays for it then go where ever you want. However, there are cheaper routes that may round you out as a true professional and not some cookie cut first officer. I have a feeling getting to the majors that quickly would depend more on who you know than anything else.
 
hepcat13 said:
Also, I wanted people to know I have dreamed of being a pilot ever since childhood, so pay and prestige is not what I'm after (but it would be nice of course). So if I ended up working at a reqional for the rest of my career, I would still be ecstatic, as long as I am a proffessional pilot.

I think that if anybody told you that your dream was not feasable, they would be just as wrong as telling you that it was feasable. 6 years from now, who knows what fate will bring you, the industry, the country? Maybe we'll all get fat come picking time?

I work for a 'regional' and I think that pay and quality of life are very important. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stuck to flying single engine turboprops for the last five years.

Maybe it was lost when I replied in that thread where the guy was asking about "programs" that will take you to where you want to go. All I can tell you is that you are the customer of what you want out of life and that life hands you segues and stumbling blocks that you can never anticipate in 5, 10 and 20 year plans.

Shoot for the best and make the best of what you get and you may find yourself happy, even if that place wasn't where you thought you'd wind up.
 

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