I'd like to be a pilot, advice needed!!

[wannabepilot]

Hi, I just turned 24, and will get my B.A. in economics with a business minor in december. I have zero money and zero flight hours, yet I recently decided that I would like to become a pilot (I have always been fascinated with aviation and the life of a airline pilot but for numerous reasons never got started with it). I would like to know the best route to go about it and the odds of me being able to achieve it. I've heard about these mega expensive schools like Flight Safety where you have to plop down $50,000 or so and that is just out of the question for me, I would have to probably train up to CFI at my local airport, where there are 2 FBO flight schools (in Boulder, Colorado). If anybody knows the Denver area and could recommend a good flight school I would appreciate it. Seeing all these massive amounts of hours that you need kind of concerns me. How did some of you build up your time when you were starting out? (I doubt I've even DRIVEN 1000 hours in my life) Besides being a flight instructor, what kind of jobs are out there (if any) for people with around 300+ hours?

Reading this message board and hearing about all the out of work pilots kind of worries me. I don't need to become a 747 captain in order to feel like I suceeded, but if I didn't make it to at least a regional airline (or something on that level) I would feel like all the money and training were a waste. Are there a lot of good pilots out there with the hours and training they need that can't ever get a job?

Well, sorry for rambling. I would appreciate any advice. Also, if there are some people like me out there (who made their decision to be a pilot later in life and didn't train in the military, colleges, or big flight schools) I would love to hear your stories. Thanks a lot.

 

[sbav8r]

From one newbie to another, I suggest you keep a back up plan so you don't go hungry when things are slow. I have a friend who after being furloughed went out and started making more money as loan officer than when he was flying. He had a buisness degree and prior experience in the field. If you can manage to find an occupation that will lead to a comfortable career as a back up then take it, even if it slows your flight progress a bit.

You might want to seriously consider enlisting in the Air National Guard and let them pay for your training with the GI Bill.

 

[bobbysamd]

Denver flight schools

You might try Wings of Denver Flying Club Inc., 7625 South Peoria Street, Englewood, CO 80112, telephone number: (303) 790-9090, e-mail: [email protected]; at Centennial. It's been around forever. Also try Aspen Flying Club, which is also at Centennial. It, too, has been around for many years.

If you are not adverse to earning another degree, you might check out the programs at Metro and Aims Community College in Greeley. If you're attending a Colorado state school you should be able to transfer enough credits to cover your electives at either school.

The above suggestion about the Colorado ANG is an excellent suggestion if you want to go military. Military pilots always go to the head of line in airline hiring.

You raise the age-old question about building hours. It can be a daunting and frustrating process. Moreover, 1000 hours aren't really enough to get a career job in these tough hiring times. Just so you know. But airline hiring is cyclical, which means that the times will improve. They always do. Then they go bad again. Et cetera. In any event, other pilots have been trained, found work, and have climbed the ladder. You are at a good age and there is no reason why you can't. In the meantime, you have to take it step-by-step.

The regionals are not necessarily the hallmark of success. There are plenty of corporate pilots who fly better equipment than the regionals, make more money, fly to more interesting places, and have more time off.

As an Econ and business major you might enjoy reading Hard Landing by Thomas Petzinger. It discusses such things as airline deregulation. It might give you some insight into the business.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your plans

 

[Timebuilder]

The path to an airliner is long and sometimes arduous. You are expected to first fly for a "regional" airline first, starting at 14 to 18 thousand per year. You are on call at all hours, away from your family on every conceivable holiday, and often move to several cities to get promoted.

At this point, very few pilots are progressing from the regionals to a "major" airline. In fact, several thousand major airline pilots are on furlough. Retiring pilots are not being replaced with new hires. Many pilots would change careers if they could, but they have no other skillset to use to support their families. Many are selling plywood at warehouse stores. They are all in line ahed of you.

Other operators, such as cargo, charter, corporate and fractional carriers are hiring occaisionally, but only a small percentage of those pilots enjoy the pay that they had originally envisioned when they began their aviation journey.

If you don't mind spending ten years working long hours for low pay, and you really LOVE flying, then maybe this is for you. After that, you may be able to find a position that pays more than 40 thousand a year.

With this in mind, try out an introductory flight with an instructor at a nearby FBO. Do you LOVE it? Good.

Go to an AME (get a referral) and ask for a first class medical exam. Tell the doctor about ALL family history medical problems. Are you healthy now, and is there a genetic time bomb waiting for you at age 40? No? Good.

So, let's review. You can handle the low pay, the medical standards, the years of "dues", the competition from thousands of experienced pilots, and a nomadic lifestyle?

(To Paraphrase) "...then maybe you can be one of us, the poor, the waiting, the Pilots".

 

[tarp]

Wannabe -

One step at a time. Econ and business - well first you need money. The old joke is "what makes airplanes fly?" The answer is "lift and a lot of money."

You need some kind of money to live and pay for $100-120/hr flight lessons. The usual suspects are: 1.) get a job, 2.) ask mom and dad for help, 3.) get a loan (risk factor) or 4.) rob a bank (ethical dilemna).

If you are stuck with option #1, then you can go one of two ways: a.) good job, lots of money, squeeze in flight lessons i.e. use your degree, get a good paying, hard working job and soon you will have the kind of money needed to visit a flight school. b.) part-time work, part-time airport bum i.e. you could work on getting one or two small jobs and then with every nickel you scrape, go get another flying lesson. You could bag groceries at Albertsons (they're in Denver aren't they), pump gas at the airport and get an employee discount on flight lessons (i.e. two low paying jobs and getting low cost instruction).

Leaving school and going out into the "real" world can be pretty scary stuff.

Mark on this Board (midlifeflyer) looks like he might be a pretty good CFI in your area. I think he also surfs another board called studentpilot.com. You could look at the AOPA website aopa.org and see their "learn to fly" section. Lay out a plan step-by-step.

 

[flybrowntails]

Getting started in aviation these days is a difficult choice to make. A point worth making is that Aviation has always been difficult. (Difficult or not-I only wanted to be a pilot.)

A career in aviation or areospace doesn't have to be an airline captain. There are many jobs, pilot jobs, you may consider such as charter pilot, flight instructor, ground instructor, cargo pilot, fire fighter, corporate pilot--the list goes on and on. There are also many paths to follow to become a commerical pilot.

Every pilot has a different story on their training and success. It may be worth speaking personally with some pilots you know and ask questions about their career.

Best of luck.

 

[wannabepilot]

hmmmm...

Thanks for the posts, they are all interesting...
sbav8r, yeah, I'll definetly have to be working full time during any flight training. If I was 18 right now something like the air national guard would be appealing to me I think, but after spening the last 5 years locked-down in college I really couldn't see spending another 4, 6 or 8 (what ever it is) locked-down in the military. While I have a lot of respect for the military and the people in it, I would also have a problem going off to Iran (or some other "evil" country) and dying in a war I don't agree with... But enough of me getting political (no offense intended to anybody).

bobbysamd, thanks for the Denver info, I'll look into those places. Since I'll be living in Boulder at least until I graduate (I go to CU) it would be handy to at least get my PPL here. I looked at Dakota Ridge Aviation, have you heard anything about them? Being a little burned out on school right now I would rather not try for another degree right now, but if I'm able to get good, inexpensive training there I would definitely think about it. Maybe with a lot of credits transfering it wouldn't take that long... Not to pry into your business, but I see all your hours instructing. Were you able to support yourself and your training with just your instucting or did you have another job?

Timebuilder, yeah, I'm prepared for the low pay and crazy hours. I don't have any kids or any other major financial burdens at this point. Yeah, I'd better go see if I can pass that class 1 medical exam. I think I'm healthy but who knows. I've never been someone who liked to go to the doctor, it's probably been 10 years since my last check-up .

Thanks to the rest of you people too. I'd be interested to hear about you guy's training and early jobs flying. sbav8r, I guess you recently started flying, how long did it take you to get your commercial? Well, later.

 

[Clownpilot]

Re: hmmmm...

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

JUST BUY THE BIGGEST WATCH YOU CAN FIND.

AFTER THAT, ITS ALLL DOWN HILL FROM THERE.

EASY PICKINS.

Thanks for the posts, they are all interesting...
sbav8r, yeah, I'll definetly have to be working full time during any flight training. If I was 18 right now something like the air national guard would be appealing to me I think, but after spening the last 5 years locked-down in college I really couldn't see spending another 4, 6 or 8 (what ever it is) locked-down in the military. While I have a lot of respect for the military and the people in it, I would also have a problem going off to Iran (or some other "evil" country) and dying in a war I don't agree with... But enough of me getting political (no offense intended to anybody).

bobbysamd, thanks for the Denver info, I'll look into those places. Since I'll be living in Boulder at least until I graduate (I go to CU) it would be handy to at least get my PPL here. I looked at Dakota Ridge Aviation, have you heard anything about them? Being a little burned out on school right now I would rather not try for another degree right now, but if I'm able to get good, inexpensive training there I would definitely think about it. Maybe with a lot of credits transfering it wouldn't take that long... Not to pry into your business, but I see all your hours instructing. Were you able to support yourself and your training with just your instucting or did you have another job?

Timebuilder, yeah, I'm prepared for the low pay and crazy hours. I don't have any kids or any other major financial burdens at this point. Yeah, I'd better go see if I can pass that class 1 medical exam. I think I'm healthy but who knows. I've never been someone who liked to go to the doctor, it's probably been 10 years since my last check-up .

Thanks to the rest of you people too. I'd be interested to hear about you guy's training and early jobs flying. sbav8r, I guess you recently started flying, how long did it take you to get your commercial? Well, later.

 

[bobbysamd]

Training

bobbysamd, thanks for the Denver info, I'll look into those places. Since I'll be living in Boulder at least until I graduate (I go to CU) it would be handy to at least get my PPL here. I looked at Dakota Ridge Aviation, have you heard anything about them?

I've heard of the place but don't know it personally. One other suggestion might be Denver Air Center at Jeffco.

Being a little burned out on school right now I would rather not try for another degree right now, but if I'm able to get good, inexpensive training there I would definitely think about it. Maybe with a lot of credits transfering it wouldn't take that long

Metro is a four-year program. Maybe you can transfer two years' worth as electives. Aims is a two-year program. You probably can transfer one year. You would have to take all the Aeronautical Science courses at either school.

Not to pry into your business, but I see all your hours instructing. Were you able to support yourself and your training with just your instucting or did you have another job?

I learned to fly intially for fun. I was working a regular, full-time job and trained on a pay-as-you-go basis. I would NOT recommend training the way I did if you aspire to an aviation career. After I decided to change careers, I kept on with my regular job until I landed a full-time instructing job at ERAU. I took a $6K pay cut, but after a year I was making more money as a Riddle instructor than I ever did as a broadcaster. (Yeah, Timebuilder, most anything other than the majors pays lousy.).

Hope that helps. Once more, good luck with your plans. Hope that C.U. can find a QB this season.

 

[bigD]

Hope that C.U. can find a QB this season.

I don't. Stinkin' CU...