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High School To The Airlines - Roadmap
- Thread starter UndauntedFlyer
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Flyingdutchman
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- Jul 29, 2002
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idoitupsidedown
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my .02
Exactly. Degrees and more education are the bonuses of college. The reason to go to college is to have fun, meet people, have a few years of your life to d!ck around and in general have fun. If you go from high school right into professional flying, all you'll know is your high school friends and your flying co-workers. how boring. Finish up your degree on line? ok, i can see where that might be cool...get a few years of college then finish while your working. to each his own though. And no, definatly DO NOT get a degree that says you know how to fly airplanes. I have one. It is worthless. My certificates should be the only thing I have that say i'm qualified to fly airplanes because if (knock on wood) i ever loose them - medical problems, etc. - I'm sure I'll be able to get a job doing something that pays OK just b/c i have a college degree, but it won't be as good as it coulda been if i had say an engineering degree or a business degree. Also, think about how much you really need to spend to fly in college. I came to college with a wet Private Certificate and about 50 hours TT. I graduated three years later w/a 4 year degree, 1000TT/100 multi, and only 28K in student loans. still a big chunk of change, but nothing compared to some others that went to (drum roll please) accredited flight universities - erau, pu, etc. (my alma mater is an accredited university as a whole, but the aerospace department is not accredited by whoever is the organization that does that for aerospace depts., i forget who im talking about, maybe someone else knows) Keep in mind that if you want to fly, many places require that 4 yr degree. BUT it can be in anything - math, business, art, music, UNDERWATER BASKET WEAVING! IT DOESNT MATTER!!!! it just has to b a 4 yr degree. So now, im 21 and using the year that would have been my fourth and final year of college to fly charter in light piston twins and learn even more than i did flight instructing so that here shortly i can take a very large paycut to go pull gear for a regional. So thats another way to get things done.
Exactly. Degrees and more education are the bonuses of college. The reason to go to college is to have fun, meet people, have a few years of your life to d!ck around and in general have fun. If you go from high school right into professional flying, all you'll know is your high school friends and your flying co-workers. how boring. Finish up your degree on line? ok, i can see where that might be cool...get a few years of college then finish while your working. to each his own though. And no, definatly DO NOT get a degree that says you know how to fly airplanes. I have one. It is worthless. My certificates should be the only thing I have that say i'm qualified to fly airplanes because if (knock on wood) i ever loose them - medical problems, etc. - I'm sure I'll be able to get a job doing something that pays OK just b/c i have a college degree, but it won't be as good as it coulda been if i had say an engineering degree or a business degree. Also, think about how much you really need to spend to fly in college. I came to college with a wet Private Certificate and about 50 hours TT. I graduated three years later w/a 4 year degree, 1000TT/100 multi, and only 28K in student loans. still a big chunk of change, but nothing compared to some others that went to (drum roll please) accredited flight universities - erau, pu, etc. (my alma mater is an accredited university as a whole, but the aerospace department is not accredited by whoever is the organization that does that for aerospace depts., i forget who im talking about, maybe someone else knows) Keep in mind that if you want to fly, many places require that 4 yr degree. BUT it can be in anything - math, business, art, music, UNDERWATER BASKET WEAVING! IT DOESNT MATTER!!!! it just has to b a 4 yr degree. So now, im 21 and using the year that would have been my fourth and final year of college to fly charter in light piston twins and learn even more than i did flight instructing so that here shortly i can take a very large paycut to go pull gear for a regional. So thats another way to get things done.
knewhigher
Well-known member
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- May 18, 2006
- Posts
- 149
The things that will bring a lurker out of the woodworks...
[FONT="]The original post was pretty accurate, at least in my case. By the time I was 15 I was washing airplanes at local airports, which helped me in many ways. I was able to make money for training, earn free flight time, and the most important thing... NETWORK! The contacts I made through washing airplanes helped me later down the road. I earned all my ratings with the money that I earned washing airplanes (yes it IS possible to pay as you go, even for a high school student). Through networking I was able to finagle my way into free flight time, discounted check rides, and even free flight instruction. All I did was work hard, treat people with respect, and hang out at the airport A LOT.
By the time I graduated high school I had my CFI and began teaching the people I used to wash planes for. After I earned my commercial ticket I NEVER HAD TO FLY FOR FREE or PFT. I was flying photo flights, ferry flights, and banner towing to earn money for my CFI and multi. I was able to go to a full time college and instruct about 60 hours a month. I built multi time by becoming an MEI.
I am now 20 and fly a CRJ for a regional carrier and am finishing my four year degree online, which is perfect for horrifically long reserve duties. I was able to do it all debt free.
I am in no way an expert, just a lowly Barbie jet FO. But if I were to give advice to a high schooler with flying aspirations it would be:
- don't wait until after college (most parents are reluctant to pay for flight training while in high school... screw em' PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!); its also much easier to afford when you have no bills, a wife, and/or kids
- find a job IN aviation while you are training (plane washer, FBO desk, etc.)
- NETWORK![/FONT]
[FONT="]The original post was pretty accurate, at least in my case. By the time I was 15 I was washing airplanes at local airports, which helped me in many ways. I was able to make money for training, earn free flight time, and the most important thing... NETWORK! The contacts I made through washing airplanes helped me later down the road. I earned all my ratings with the money that I earned washing airplanes (yes it IS possible to pay as you go, even for a high school student). Through networking I was able to finagle my way into free flight time, discounted check rides, and even free flight instruction. All I did was work hard, treat people with respect, and hang out at the airport A LOT.
By the time I graduated high school I had my CFI and began teaching the people I used to wash planes for. After I earned my commercial ticket I NEVER HAD TO FLY FOR FREE or PFT. I was flying photo flights, ferry flights, and banner towing to earn money for my CFI and multi. I was able to go to a full time college and instruct about 60 hours a month. I built multi time by becoming an MEI.
I am now 20 and fly a CRJ for a regional carrier and am finishing my four year degree online, which is perfect for horrifically long reserve duties. I was able to do it all debt free.
I am in no way an expert, just a lowly Barbie jet FO. But if I were to give advice to a high schooler with flying aspirations it would be:
- don't wait until after college (most parents are reluctant to pay for flight training while in high school... screw em' PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!); its also much easier to afford when you have no bills, a wife, and/or kids
- find a job IN aviation while you are training (plane washer, FBO desk, etc.)
- NETWORK![/FONT]
UndauntedFlyer
Ease the nose down
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2006
- Posts
- 1,062
Undaunted Flyer, as usual, is right. The only thing I'd do differently than knewhigher is go to a cool university and instead of going to the regionals at 20, continue to instruct/build time until graduation. College is too fun to miss. Some guys can though, and to knewhigher, congrats on advancing so quickly!
UndauntedFlyer
Ease the nose down
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2006
- Posts
- 1,062
As MHCASEY points out, there are many paths to a successful career in aviation. KNEWHIGHER's path may be right for him and the college path preceding the Regional's may be right for others. But in either case, a college degree is a must unless you will be satisfied with being a "Lifer" in the Regionals. In that case "burnout" may make your career an unpleasant experience.
Bottom line, be sure to get your 4-year college degree early in your career. If you are "sucked" into a Regional job shortly after high school or by leaving college for the "glory" of flying an RJ, you'll have to figure out how to get your degree some non-traditional way and soon. Maybe on-line or maybe by a LOA from your Regional. But to the best of my knowledge LOA's are almost unheard of for such productive things as college. The Regional's want you to be a "Lifer." LOA is only for emergency family-leave as is provided for by law as far as a Regional is concerned. A pilot at the Regionals and even the Majors is just a number and a body to manipulate the flight controls.
As my son said to me one time, "An airline job is the factory job of piloting." This is true and personally I have had no problem with that concept. In fact I like it because there is so little likelihood of error. It is a factory job but I like it just fine.
Bottom line, be sure to get your 4-year college degree early in your career. If you are "sucked" into a Regional job shortly after high school or by leaving college for the "glory" of flying an RJ, you'll have to figure out how to get your degree some non-traditional way and soon. Maybe on-line or maybe by a LOA from your Regional. But to the best of my knowledge LOA's are almost unheard of for such productive things as college. The Regional's want you to be a "Lifer." LOA is only for emergency family-leave as is provided for by law as far as a Regional is concerned. A pilot at the Regionals and even the Majors is just a number and a body to manipulate the flight controls.
As my son said to me one time, "An airline job is the factory job of piloting." This is true and personally I have had no problem with that concept. In fact I like it because there is so little likelihood of error. It is a factory job but I like it just fine.
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knewhigher
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 18, 2006
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- 149
FlyingHigh262
NKAWTG
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2005
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- 63
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