New pilot eager for advice!!!!

[mayday1]

These flight academies will tell you all kinds of things to get you to come over and hand over a buttload of cash. Take anything they say with the proverbial grain of salt.

keep in mind, these people are SALES people.. they make their money by getting you to sign up.. they WILL tell you/guarantee you anything they think you want to hear.... ever bought a car?

 

[FN FAL]

keep in mind, these people are SALES people.. they make their money by getting you to sign up.. they WILL tell you/guarantee you anything they think you want to hear.... ever bought a car?

It's not a crime, the schools give exactly what they promise...ratings and an interview.

 

[mayday1]

It's not a crime, the schools give exactly what they promise...ratings and an interview.

ah, but to get that interview... they'll quickly gloss over all that fine print that deals with employment contracts, CFI hiring numbers, average cost (which everyone exceeds), etc. I visited DCA way back when... things might have changed, but they're really just interested in your money.

 

[polysciguy9]

Get your medical before making any long term plans - you never know when a medical issue you were never aware of might come up in your evaluation and either delay, or perhaps prohibit your dream. My medical circumstances took so long to take care of that I went to college, then to grad school, and fell into a different career. I recently decided to pursue the dream again, and surprise, another medical issue (one that shouldn't be an issue at all). I agree with the college advice too, though. As much as I would have loved to have been flying commercially at 20, you can't replace your college memories. Best time of my life.

 

[FN FAL]

ah, but to get that interview... they'll quickly gloss over all that fine print that deals with employment contracts, CFI hiring numbers, average cost (which everyone exceeds), etc. I visited DCA way back when... things might have changed, but they're really just interested in your money.

Yea, I tured that DCA way back when as well...got the free flight there and back. What a bunch of snake oil salesmen.

I wound up going to a place that was much cheaper. The pvt-mei program was 24,999.00 with apartment. The deal was, 19,999.00 up front and the other 5,000 due in interest free payments after graduation and three interviews...the interviews were found by the "placement" director.

In other words, if they didn't find you three interviews, you got to keep your 5,000.00 bucks. They laid off their placement director and gave me no interview referalls, so when they sent the letter asking for that 5K I just tore it up. I call it a bridge program in reverse.

 

[RichardRambone]

Defenetely get a degree not related to aviation. I have my BS in Aviation technology and it was too late to turn back before I realized what a generally worthless degree it is. Get a practical degree in something that interests you but get those ratings on the side. I love flying and regardless of what others say I have nothing to lose by being a pro pilot right now in my life. It pays the bills and its better than anyone else's job I know. Granted Im single with no debt someday that will change and I worry everyday about what Im gonna do once the bottom falls out later in my career. Im still looking for a backup plan. Good luck to you.

 

[bluesky421]

I did all of my training part 61. I highly recommend that route if you can afford it, but its harder to get a loan part 61. I work as a line guy, and I think it was the smartest thing i ever did. I have networked with pilots of different companies, got to go on rides with them. I eventually started flying with them as a contract pilot, and thats what I'm doing now. I'm going to a Community College to get my gen-ed reqs out of the way, all the while working at the port. I have flown so many interesting aircraft that I wouldn't have gotten to had i left for another school.

 

[MDAutry]

The problem with DCA is that they do not guarantee a job interview. The devil is in the details. If 98% of people were really getting "great" jobs then you would not hear people on these boards who are so against the program. Also know that if you are not chosen by them to continue their program after the initail 30-40K spent on your initial ratings you will not be guaranteed an interview.

 

[MDAutry]

Oh yeah the most important part. GET A COLLEGE DEGREE!!!
It is of no importance how you get it, online or otherwise... just get one

 

[dojetdriver]

One word: Military

I am not a recruiter, nor a professional pilot. But seeing all the out of work pilots I would not plan on flying as a career. Especially starting out with only civilian hours. I know former military pilots with close to 8000 hrs, former airline pilots, who cannot find a pilot job. I would recommend checking out any of the services, let them pay for your training and hours.

Good luck...

I agree here to a point. Get your ratings, get your time up, and try to get a 121 job and some expierence. While you are still young, try to secure a reserve/gaurd slot. You take your time off (and continue to build senority, one hell of an important thing), get military trained and hopefully flying heavies or tactical jets. Before long you will probably get to aicraft commander and/or rj capatin. This combination of experience is highly marketable.

You could also do the reverse order, go gaurd/reserve and then get a 121 job but you can loose on the senority, which might matter down the raod if the crap hits the fan in the civilan market.

Both roads give you excellent experience and well as incredible networking oppurtunities for a job later down the road at a major.

Just my 2 cents, after a displacement and a furlough, it's now more like .05 cents.

 

[pilotyip]

No trouble finding jobs

Our pilots don't seem to be having any problems finding jobs. In the last month they have gone to Gemni, Atlas, Kalitta, Flex Jets, Air Wisc., Champion, and ATI. Mostly DA-20 pilots, many without type ratings in the DA-20. Must be the start of the 2007 hiring boom.

 

[BushwickBill]

Thanks for all the replies and sorry it took a while to respond.

There seems to be a lot of opinions on how to do this. I have my heart set on a flight academy. Two of my top picks right now are: Delta Airlines Academy and Flight Safety. Does anyone have any experiences with these places? Or any other suggestions?

Flight Safety is pretty good got my ratings there. You pay extra if you dont study. They give you an honest shot. Best to have college compleated. If you dont have the study skills you wont make it. Its not a pilot mill so you cant sit in front of the playstation all day.

 

[The Natural]

never piss into the wind.

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Funny all of our pilots looking for a job can find one. 9 pilots in two months have found other jobs, Kalitta, Atlas, ATI, AirWisc, Champion, Flex Jets, to name a few. I know other pilots have turned down jobs waiting for other jobs. Looks like the 2007 hiring boom is on track.

What's your advice? Don't go to JUS? Sounds like all semi-quasilateral moves to me. Seems the "mass exodus" has begun.

 

[Big Dog]

For all that is good and holy, GET A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE. It is the time of your life. If you can get your ratings at the same time, all the better. I second the motion of a nice big state school with an aviation program. The best of both worlds. Save your parents money & stay away from Riddle if you want any respect.

 

[pilotyip]

Vortex, 12 pilots have left so far this year, just so happens 8 in the last month, one of which was a DAL recall and one other a US Army active duty recall. A mass exodus maybe, maybe not, a little turnover is a good thing, it lets the guys who are looking to move up a chance to move into those open seats. They came to USA Jet to get jet time and move on to a job that they think is better suited to them. We have no training contract, so they are free to move. We wish them well and tell them if things do not work out give us a call, they were all good pilots and will be missed. It may be a little presumptuous of you to call a new job that a pilot is looking forward to a" semi-quasilateral move". There is no shortage of jobs for qualified pilots today.

 

[MVSW]

If you want to be a pilot skip college and start flying airplanes, you will be logging TJ PIC long before the guy who goes to college and be in the front of the line when looking for a career job. Do college degree on the side if a degree is really important to you, you can fly full time and do college on the side. You can not build meaningful flight time while going to college full time. 10 yrs after your first 135/121 job you will be making close to $100K/yr

What if he losted his med? Then what? Get a degree

 

[pilotyip]

MVSW, if the pilot has been out of college 15 yrs his degree is nearly useless in getting a job in his field of study. I know I have been there. The value of an unused degree is over rated. At that point you are an aviation guy and there are jobs in avaition outside of the cockpit. I nothing against college, but it has nothing to do with being a good pilot. I have seen too many pilot end up with great jobs without having a four yr degeee. Just my point of view.

 

[msw]

pilotyip wrote ...........
If you want to be a pilot skip college and start flying airplanes, ........ You can not build meaningful flight time while going to college full time.


Not necessarily true. When you are young, you can often "do it all"; I did. I got my commercial/multi at 18 years old, and instructed and flew Part 135 while going to college full time. Even had spare time to chase women. When I graduated (in 3.5 years, with a "four year" BS degree in engineering) I was 21 years old, had 3000 TT and 1000 hrs of multi, and all but about 50 hrs of that multi was 135 PIC (ok, so it was only Beech 18's and Chieftains, not TP or TJ, but still.... I was young). Point is, if you are young, and motivated, and industrious, you can do it all.

 

[Almerick07]

Why go somewhere for a guaranteed interview? It isnt like the regionals arent hiring anyways....find yourself an interview and save a few grand.