need advice on how to pick up the pieces

[hindsight2020]

sob title aside here's my situation:

23 yo with a bachelors in aerospace engineering, currently pursuing a master's in the same, and hating my life. So I decided a while ago that getting this degree would make my candidacy to the National Guard competitive, so far the gamble has proven a loss (can't get anywhere w/o a connection no matter how hard you work) and the marketability of my education is a joke. This is further aggravated by my utmost hatred for anything to do with an engineering job and/or education so I'm in quite a bind. I figured the only way I could possibly live with myself while I figure a way into the Guard gig is by doing what I should have done from the beginning, get my ratings and flight instruct.

I obtained my private ticket in 2000 and my instrument in 2004. Sadly it took me that long to save enough money while attending college for engineering to afford the instrument ticket, comforted at least in the fact that I got them in no time (2 months avg..would have been faster if my instructor would have cut down on the bull and showed up when he was supposed to).

My interest is in trying to find the best possible alternative for a person in my situation to finance the remaining certificates (commerical , CFI). This provided I already have a degree but still have an economic circumstance in which I would need to subsidize the cost of flight training as if it was college tuition. Are there schools where I could attend and receive student loans to pay for the ratings provided I already have a college degree? I have heard there are schools that offer CFI positions to their CFI graduates, so I've been thinking hard about relocation to Florida (yet another reason to drop this engineering nightmare for good, 7 years is enough).

I figured I would probably be age critical for the Guard by the time it takes me to save money cold turkey for the ratings, so going for the two as quickly as practically possible is my inclination. I don't want to comiserate the rest of this decade because I made a vocacional mistake; I feel it's still doable for me I just need some direction as to how to efficiently jump ship into a more rewarding (to me) life. Thanks a bunch for your help.

 

[bobbysamd]

Florida in-house CFI hiring

I have heard there are schools that offer CFI positions to their CFI graduates, so I've been thinking hard about relocation to Florida . . . .

Don't pack your bags just yet. Some schools require their would-be in-house CFI hires to complete their entire programs. Aside from CFI, the only thing you're missing is your Commercial and Multi. You need to find out each school's individual requirements. You probably will not be told the truth by school officials because they want to sell you a complete program; try to ask grads, students or current instructors.

I had a CFI student at FlightSafety who earned his Private at an FBO near Washington, DC. He finished everything else at FSI and was hired as an instructor.

You also need to determine for the near term the hurricanes' effect on these schools. The hurricanes may have slown down their operations, which could affect hiring. I know that FSI suffered extensive damage from Frances and especially Jeanne.

I second the opinions above about not limiting your military flying goal to the Guard. Any military flying slot is an opportunity. Former military pilots still go to the head of the hiring line at the airlines.

Good luck with your plans.

 

[350DRIVER]

I recall the C130 unit at KYNG would always seek to go after people who would be interested in flying the C130, obviously most didn't bite at it atleast from the former flight school/charter company that I was employed with. If they had the A-10's maybe but I remember the "better" units took those coming off of active duty first prior to taking "off the street" cadidates. I looked into this and too many obstacles and hurdles to get into the decent equipment. If you are willing to settle for the C130 then you may want to look at this unit, seemed like they could never get enough folks who were interested in joining.


good luck,

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as a side note, you may want to contact them directly since the unit you go to has to sponsor you and get your packet in order.

 

[350DRIVER]

Are you out of your **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** mind? Do you even know WTF you are talking about? Oh... so C130's are second rate now? Only the guys that jump over the obstacles get "Decent equipment?" I'm flying jets for the Navy so I must be one of those guys, but you putting down guys that WANT to fly C130's or any other platform... who the hell do you think you are. You know how many friends I had going through primary, Marines in particular, that WANTED C130's? I actually applied to an AFSOC C130 reserve unit before I joined the Navy... never got in because they were too busy fighting wars over seas, they couldn't get anyone back to interview me. Dude until you have some time in the community... or know what you're talking about... Shut your hole... Wow that comment pissssssssed me off....

Dipstick,

Re-read my post, take a chill, and relax. I was simply giving advice to someone that "possibly" may be interested in this aircraft and going this route. Where did I put anyone down?. I kind of thought so... As previously stated, it was my personal preference not to want to fly a C130 when the chance presented itself and it seems as if this route was much easier than getting into the A-10 unit in Baltimore, that was the point that I was trying to make. It is all relative to what he wants to do and where he would be most happy. If he wants to fly C130's then Bless his soul, that just didn't seem to interest myself and others when that chance presented itself. You fly a jet, I am stoked, would you like a cookie?. Put things into perspective and use your head before you come spouting off BS and personal attacks. Show a little maturity, it may do you some good.

It comes down to personal preference and nothing more. If he wants to go this route then it is an option that he has available to him and that was the objective of my response. I stand completely behind my initial response and it surely wasn't an attack on the C130 guys. I have more than one friend who currently is a AC on them as well as other friends who are flying active duty in the service.

chill out man

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[350DRIVER]

OK... as long as you reread your post from a third person POV and tell me how your post dosen't come off as condecending to anyone in a "lesser" unit (seeing as how you called A-10 units "better). Maybe I'm just wound up about it, cuz there's a lot of guys around here in jetland that have that "better than anyone else" attitude when it comes to aviation...

In MY opinion, this is all relative to what would have made me "happy", "content", "satisfied", etc,. I just didn't have the interest in the C130's, that is the only point that I was making which somewhat got blown out of proportion. Maybe I should have left the word "decent" out of the post, that really wasn't implying that "washouts", etc, get forced into the C130. I can see where you came to the conclusion if you judged my opinion(s) and post to that word. The C130 is a workhorse and it does a pretty important job around the world in this war on terror present day.

I am simply wanted to point out that if he looks into this particular unit (KYNG)that he may have better luck, it seemed as if they were always looking for guys who were interested in joining up. I only wanted to give him a tad of insight, advice, and information that may be beneficial to his career ambitions and desires.

The A-10's seemed somewhat impossible to get when I looked into it. Only way that I found possible was to use the KYNG base to sponsor me, get into training, then sneak into the A-10 unit but after doing some research I didn't think that was "fair" to them since they have been burned by this type of practice in the past and it was looked down upon for the obvious reasons.

If he so desires to want to fly the C130 then I think he should contact this particular unit and get the ball rolling. Times change as well as staffing needs so not sure present day what they are looking for.

was just a thought or suggestion, nothing more and nothing less...

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[hindsight2020]

Well, I somehow knew the thread was eventually going to come to the Guard issue again; I was mostly interested in knowing more about getting myself in a position to have a job until the Guard happens.

Seeing how it has come to this, for the purposes of full disclosure I'll give my story regarding the Guard. I am primarily interested in fighter units, they have comprised 95% of the units I've applied to. I do not think of the heavies as less but people need not get offended when one expresses a preference. 3 5 0 resonates with my preferences although I will concede it could have been elaborated differently. At any rate, if the results of my applications would have been positive I wouldn't have posted my questions in the first place. After having all the fighter units give me the no-interview-no-nothing letter and the one C-130 unit I applied to give me the only interview I've had (I wasn't selected there either however) I gotta hand it to their unit, they are a classy bunch of guys and their mission is awesome.

The perception of "limiting" that was posted above has to be taken in the right context. In one of my visits to a -16 unit I discovered, like Patmack correctly pointed out, that it doesn't take a CFI to get a Guard slot. Unfortunately, I feel the statement was incomplete in that it failed to mention why I'm STILL not getting in, and that's because it may not take a bunch of ratings but it definitively takes a connection. Listen, I am better qualified to fly the thing in comparison to the education level and general traits of some (not all, I said some) of the pilots currently flying there when they were in my spot and they know it! So when I choose not to jump head straight into the active board (remember I could have also done ROTC while in college and gotten pilot categorized) it's only because I still have a preference in what airframe I want my military career to be defined with.

Of course, when I become close to age critical, then I will certainly send in the apps to the OTS boys and let it be....chances are good I'll get in (gathering from my experience applying to Guard my qualifications have never been an issue, just my lack of connections period). At that point I'll be happy with whatever I can get outta UPT. Until I absolutely have to do that though, I'll still shoot for my preference albeit it's a route that has already put me in a very tough spot job wise.

So that's the Guard story I, perhaps, should have elaborated more on in my first post. Once again, the intention of my questions dealt more with the alternative of careers I could live with until I get to UPT, which by the looks of it (unless I somehow get thru those Guard gates) could take me well into my late 20's and then active duty considerations. That's a lot of years of unemployment as a highly unmarketable, overqualified, aero engineer major (with maybe a masters soon enough to double whammy the issue) versus what I perceive to be a rewarding time FLYING while I wait. I DO recognize the sunk cost element of it, getting in debt to fly a couple of years to then be selected into a flight program that would have given me twicefold the ratings and experience and that for free! I'm just so dissapointed with the way things have turned out I much rather be paying loans and flying while I wait than miserable thinking every day until I turn 28 on how I could have done things differently. That was the point I left the first post and I continue to take in everybody's opinion and insight with wide open eyes and ears

But I mean, if somebody knows of something else I could do with my education aside from an engineering job please advise me I'm open to that too!

Thanks for the advice folks keep em comin'

 

[350DRIVER]

wow dude.. do you ever fly? 2900 posts averaging 3 per day for the last 2 and a half years??? get out more...

I fly plenty, appreciate the concern though for my well being. One has got to love the benefits of the wonderful invention called a "laptop" which is portable and that can travel with one from city to city. If it makes you feel any better their are quite a few who frequent this board with many more posts than myself.


hindsight2020,

Your wishes and desires with regards to equipment preference were those of mine, unfortunately those "slots" are somewhat hard to come and I found they are pretty difficult to get during my research. Most of those who are getting these coveted slots are those who are coming off of active duty. You may be able to swing the A-10 slot with a lot of luck but I had no luck and it seemed as if it was an uphill battle from the get go. I don't think it is all about "who you know" but being at the right place at the right time and doing well once you secure the interview. I am sorry to hear your one interview didn't go well but if this is something that you really want then keep at it, patience sometimes pays off in this industry. If you give me a few days, pm me, and I will put you in contact with one of the AC's from KYNG who may be able to help you but like myself it sounds like you want the jet's which in my opinion is not going to be a very easy task. Keep at it though, ya never know what can happen with a little luck being on your side. The fighter units are not easy to get into, I pretty much researched this inside and out and had quite a few "inside" contacts which had no bearing on my lack of "success" if you can even could call it that when I looked at this part of the industry.


At some point in time you are going to have to do what is going to make yourself happy and if you really want to fly then look at the civ options that you have available to you. I would suggest looking into the Mesa program, will get you there to the airlines the quickest. You have many options..

good luck

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