PLEASE READ AND ADVISE. –The new guy nee

[80/20]

I agree with the previous answers and would like to add that one main advantage of a "structured" flight training program is that you get more help to manage your training. Some schools have strict requirements with internal stage test and written test in addition to what the FAA require. This can be a great help for those who work best under some pressure. You seem to have life experience, a degree and probably know how to study on your own.
One key element will be your instructors. Professionals have various qualities in all industries. You might be able to find an excellent flight instructor in many different places. Some AB-inito 141 schools tend to use "low" experienced time builders. Nothing bad to say about that as long as they are sincere and care, but it is naturally better to get someone with experience because flying is a very practical profession. One advantage with large schools is that you may have a better chance to get a job as an instructor and build those crucial hard to get first hours. There may, however, be more students that want to teach than there are instructor positions. Schools that have many foreign students that are going back home and/or do not have their rights to work in the USA have often been able to offer instructor jobs to many of their US students.

Our industry goes through continuos cycles. Many have said that the best time to start is during a recession, words that have proved themselves over and over again. Those that make a realistic plan, manage their finances, prepare to spend several years with low pay, don't expect to find any shortcuts, plan to "pay their dues" and so on will almost always make it.

Those with a programming background might have an advantage right now because most airlines would like to replace paper manuals with electronic manuals. They are trying to move towards XML tagging and database document management systems that produce and update electronic manuals for operations, flight crew and maintenance. For these tasks they can either hire expensive third party providers or try to find someone with a programming background and interest for the industry. Don't expect that this will get you an airline job right away but it might help you once you have the required hours and experience.

 

[pilotyip]

career advice

If you want to make a living as a pliot, do a scearch under "pilotyip" and check my previous posts, they are counter to the advice you will get from this board, but they fit my profile of the successful pilot. But then again what would I know I have only been in this business for nearly 40 years and had 7 flying jobs. If you have any questions PM me.

 

[Timebuilder]

Pilotyip, was there any advice in this thread that you felt was incorrect? I'd be interested to read your post that you think is most relevant to this person.

 

[pilotyip]

Not this post

Nothing in this post so far, but I refered to the bigger picture of all the info you will get from this board for newbe's. Like the advice to get a 4 yr degree before you start your flying career is necessary to be a successful pilot, I say it is not required, but it depends upon what you define as successful, if you think DC-9 Capt at USA Jet, AirTran, Spirit is not successful making close to 100K per year, then you may have to redefine what it is you are looking for in a successful career.

 

[bobbysamd]

College degree

Nothing in this post so far, but I refered to the bigger picture of all the info you will get from this board for newbe's. Like the advice to get a 4 yr degree before you start your flying career is necessary to be a successful pilot, I say it is not required . . . .

Maybe not required. Flight schools only ask for a high school diploma, which can be satisified by a G.E.D. , so, if you want to look at it from that perspective, you can be a dropout and be a professional pilot.

A degree is certainly extremely helpful in an always-competitive hiring environment. Everyone benefits from education in ways that transcend flying. Moreover, so many places express a preference for at least some college, if not a four-year degree. I say "always-competitive" because there is never an shortage of pilots and there is always a shortage of jobs, even during good times. You have to present the best credentials possible, and the most education possible is just one.

I realize that Yip plays counterpoint to others' point about going to college. I would just say that one should get an education, no matter what one's plans are for life. But go to college because you want to and because you're fully convinced that you will benefit from the experience. Otherwise, you'll waste your money and time, and take up space from someone who wants to be there.

In any event, the original poster has his degree, so any advice counter to that is moot.

 

[hydroflyer]

I also agree that now may be the time to take the training a little slower and get the opportunity to see as much weather and flying environments as possible. Other things you will see that way is all of the possible job opportunities there are out there for flying. Originally I had the goal of major airline, but now it is to just have fun and see where it all leads. I believe I will have more fun flying a variety of smaller planes then leaping to a large jet (that even includes an RJ) where the autopilot dominates at this time.
There are a couple of areas that have not been touched on that I thought I would include for you to help your decision. Maintenance is a huge issue! Make sure where you end up has quality maintenance. Talk to the current students about that issue. Some good signs would be that you have access to aircraft logs upon request without any hassle. Inspections every 100 hours are required for instruction, and some places will even do a 50 hour service. Don't just judge an airplane by its paint however, check the inside of some of the airplanes in the fleet and see how many "inoperative" stickers there are. It may not be a good sign to see a lot, a few may be typical, depending on the size of the fleet and how long the sticker has been there. Poor maintenance could mean airplanes breaking down constantly, cancelled flight lessons and more money due to making up lessons and stretching out the training. It is also nice to have the peace of mind that you are flying in a well maintained airplane. Often you could see a pretty paint covering a poor airplane. A few extra dollars one place may charge for good maintenance is worth it!
Another thing to check on is instructors. If an instructor leaves, how hard is it to change instructors? Do they teach in similar fashions? What happens if your instructor is sick? At a 141 school I taught at, we were all "standardized" meaning we taught things in the same format, however the approaches could be different. For example, we all taught the steps for setting up and perfoming a maneuver the same way, so if a student swapped instructors, they wouldn't start to perform a maneuver and be told that "it is all wrong" or something to that effect. If a student had a problem with a certain maneuver or landing or something and could not "get over the hump" so to speak, then they could go up with another instructor and see if that would help. Often all it took was a fresh look from another instructor and a different phrase to change everything. That alone could keep the learning going.
If you do decide to go professional, a great way to study and prepare for the CFI, as well as any certificate and rating along the way, is to make a list of all of the questions you are quizzed with by your instructor and then rather than write the answers down on the list, just write WHERE the answers are. You can use the list as a study guide, and then eventually use it to help quiz your students.

 

[EngineOut]

If the Professional Pilot DEGREE is what you seek, Mountain View is as good as any aviation program, but since you already have a collegiate background, you may choose to supplement your 141 training with individual classes. You don't need to be enrolled in a degree program to take Human Factors, Meteorology, and whatnot. The ground schools at MVC are quite a bargain, though: $78 ($26/credit hour x 3 credits) for a 141 approved ground school! Compare that to the $30+/hr you'd pay a flight instructor for each required hour of ground school. They have a really nice, new Simulator Lab, too, including a dozen or so CBT terminals. CFI grads were hired by Howell's in Grand Prairie, but it's been pretty stagnant there lately in terms of CFI flow-through (as I'm sure it has at most places).

You may already have this, but here's a link to the department's website.

http://aviation.mvc.dcccd.edu

Good Luck!