You guys have me scared

[El Cid Av8or]

I'm kind of in the same boat you are except I am leaving the IT industry and I already have my private pilot's license with a multi-engine rating. I'm also a little older at 32.

I looked at all of the flight schools. Most of which I determined to be nothing more than good marketing folks. I am getting the rest of my ratings at a local FBO for about $17,000. If I started from scratch it would cost about $25,000-30,000. Am I guaranteed a job when I get done? Well, the manager said that he might take me on as a "here-and-there" pilot. If you are guaranteed a job by graduating in the top 10% of your class, make sure you study your tail off and then if they don't get you a job, get all of the $80,000 back, not just part of it.

I'm not trying to be negative, I just don't want people that I could be working with to get screwed by somebody that knows how to sell something too well.

No matter what you do, don't ever let anyone steal your dream and don't quit even when evrything is stacked up against you. My dad always told me "quitters never win and winners never quit." I'd say it's true.

 

[xlr857]

This is what Im talking about the negativity on this board sucks, that is why I wont return here. The mystery school is Pan Am and I believe the mystery company with an order for 10 pilots per month is AIRNET. Thank You for all who had real responses and a plan of attack for me to take. Im going to be a great pilot regardless of the airline status. I have an inside contact with Corporate Jets out of Scottsdale. I am best friends with the owners son who is currently attending Embry Riddel. So see you all the real pilots in the skies and for all the complaining whiners have fun on furlough.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

You paid 80,000$ to get ratings and the promise of an interview if you "excel" at your training? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me...????

**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**....I should have gone into the flight school business.

What a rip-off!!!!!!

For 80K you should get your ratings AND a college degree!!!!

Best of Luck.

 

[xlr857]

I apologize if I offended anyone, I really hope anyone who is currently out of work finds a job. It just pisses me off how it seems some people try to scare newbies away. We all got into this for one reason you love to fly. I dont care if im flat broke Ill be having the time of my life. You only live once. I researched Pan AM losing there 141 cert. but couldnt find anything I know they currently have it.

 

[Flight_Line]

Negativity? I'm being realistic here. Eighty thousand dollars is a lot of money! Especially for primary flight training. You were being very ambiguous there xlr857. My point is know what you are getting into and I am not sure that you do. UPS Capt is correct that $80,000 is an insane amount to pay for training. As for Airnet, you'll be making $1,333 per month for the first 4 or 5 months since you will be flying SIC in the pistons because at 800 hours you do not yet meet the FAR part 135 requirements. After that you'll make somewhere around $24,000 a year until you upgrade to jet SIC then you'll make around $29,000 until you upgrade once again to jet captain. Now, it sounds like you have your mind made up as to your "plan of attack". I'm not trying to be "negative" here but I personally wouldn't bet 80 grand on a 90% chance that I won't have a job after spending all that money. My advice to you is to go to a local flight school and get your ratings that way, then hit your buddy up for a job with his Dad's company. Once again, you will not have the hour requirement for part 135 PIC until you hit 1200 hours but you can ride SIC and instruct until you have enough time.

 

[Flight_Line]

By the way, no one is trying to scare the newbies away. We all come to this board so we can find out as much as we can about the current situation. This industry has its ups and downs. Right now it happens to be in a down. Things will turn around when the economy does.

 

[Wiggums]

xlr857:

If I recall correctly, Pan Am lost their Part 141 certification late last year. They may have gotten it back but that would still make me worry. Do yourself a favor and check out the discussion forums at JetCareers.com You can get to the forums from the menu on the left side.

Good luck, fly safe and have fun.

What a load of crap. What makes me worry is people that report their flight time down to the tenth in their profile.

 

[wingnutt]

ok, im with ya on this one...

...my school assures me there will be no problem with placement in a regional airline.

but then ya lose me here...

...the mystery company with an order for 10 pilots per month is AIRNET.

...did Pan Am tell you Airnet is a regional airline?

 

[LearLove]

xlr857,


Not to be a jerk or anything but first, (if its true) What the F@ck are you thinking plunking down 80 grand and where in the he11 do you come up with that $$$ at 26?

You can do better than that. Try your local FBO. I bet you can do pvt to cfi for less then 8500 while working at the FBO. At the same time going to local college or comm college and getting a BA or BS degree. You can get a BA in a nonaviation subject plus CFI for under 30,000 total. Then you'd have 50000 grand left over to get you thru CFIing and charter.

However I think I'm just waisting time here because I think I smell flame bait.

 

[SpiderMan]

I have a written guarantee if I place in the top 10% percent of my class I am guaranteed a job with an airline no interview nothing.

We got another one. Hook, line, and sinker! Its a sales pitch. You bought it.

 

[enigma]

..................It just pisses me off how it seems some people try to scare newbies away. We all got into this for one reason you love to fly. I dont care if im flat broke Ill be having the time of my life. You only live once.

Management is going to love you. I didn't read any remarks trying to scare you away. I did read some reality. This is a tough, dog-eat-dog business. You will find that management will use your eagerness, they will be happy to let you be flat broke and when you quite having the time of your life, they'll replace you with another person who acts the same way you did the year before.

report back in a couple of years and tell us that you still don't care if you're flat broke.

8N

 

[jetpilotjay]

xlr857,

First of all let me say good luck. Next, be very careful with these big pilot factories. Definetly check out jetcareers.com. It's an excellent website run by a delta F/O. I wish I had known about it before I went where I did. At the time when I went, they had bridge programs. I thought that would be very good, untill 9/11 happened. The sales pitch there was very convincing. I had 300 hrs. when i went there and they said how quick i would be at a regional. The blinders came over my eyes and i thought they were the greatest people ever. BOY WAS I WRONG, strictly out for the money. I wasn't even smart enough to go where at least you leave with a CFI. Luckily I had met a lot of people at my local airport and made a lot of good connections. When I got back from Florida, I had some flying waiting on me. It has been relatively steady ever since. I'm finally getting the money together to start my CFI. The money I spent with that school I could have paid for my CFI 2 or 3 times at a local flight school or flying club. Be very skeptical at the claims made by these high dollar flight schools, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, only your money. They have very good recruiters that get paid for nothing other than getting new students. Don't believe their BS. The airlines or any other flying operation could care less what school you went to. These employers only look at time, quantity and quality of it, and you as a person. If you only remember one thing, aviaition is all about who you know: network, network, network. Networking got me some pretty nice flight time and experience. Also, don't brush off the thoughts, opinions and suggestions from all these other piots, even if it's not what you wanted to hear, they are only trying to help. They came before us and they've seen it all. I wish I had found these sites before I sunk all the money I did.

I wish you the best of luck on whatever you decide.

 

[MetroSheriff]

Folks, if this isn't flame bait there is no such thing. Everyone is now free to remove the hooks from their cheeks.

 

[xlr857]

The school is $60,000 living for 14mos another 20,000. I cant afford to pay as i go. Plus I will never finish it that way. Plus it is local. The money is financial aid, no im not rich. I dont want to have to rely on my friend for a job. Its to late to back out anyway, so I must think positive. Perhaps you are right I should have researched it more. But going to a job yuo hate everyday clouds your decision making skills. I plan to have a great time and enjoy myself.

 

[350DRIVER]

xlr-
Don't be concerned with the negativity of this board and by all means don't take it to heart. Be real, there are many who are bitter, dissapointed, and angry with the current industry (not the best of times to be a pilot). Times will get better which is for sure, hiring will pick up which is also for sure, the only question now is how long.?? No one knows the real answer, just ride the storm out and you will be rewarded as many others will. You will only live once and don't second guess your choice about where you are going to do your training just make EXTRA sure you finish in the top 10% to get the placement guarentee. A "name" of a flight school will N O T get you any job, it is ultimately up to YOU to prove yourself and put in the hard work that will be required of you. If Pan Am is where you WANT to go then by all means go there and enjoy the time you spend there, work extra hard, prove yourself, and most of all > have FUN since "fun" is a big variable in the equation.

Hang in there, at 26 years of age you will have plenty of years ahead of you to worry about obtaining a job in this industry.


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