Buckeye
Member
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2003
- Posts
- 364
Here is my story....
I was right there in the same position your in about ten years ago. I learned to fly and got my PPL in the late summer of 93, between my junior and senior year in highschool. I went off to college and thought that I was going to fly in the Air Force, I joined ROTC. I made the mistake of putting all my eggs in one basket, I pushed off my flying and only added a rating every other year or so. I had a 3.0+ GPA, over 400 on the PFT test and all in the 90'a on the AFOQT, but what I didn't count on was a Female commander who was on her third strike with the airforce. When things started falling apart I quickly finished up my ratings, Comm, MEL. I graduated from college in 1999, went to work in Dayton Ohio fueling aircraft and teaching people how to fuel airliners, while working on my CFI. I then switched jobs to fly a Baron for a freind of mine while I ran his Marketing department. I then had an opportunity to go work for PSA Airlines in the crew scheduling department, this was a great chance to eventually interview and fly for them. I earned my CFI in May of 2000 and started instructing in Middletowne Ohio at a place called Miami Valley Aviation, the fly DC-3's, Beech 18's Piper Aztecs, Lears, and Falcons. So I flight instructed down there building my time to interview at PSA. Well eventually I interviewed at PSA and no job offer, not sure why but who knows. I then left to fly 135 for MVA in April 0f 2001. I really enjoyed learning about being a "Professional" pilot flying the DC-3, it was a lot of fun. As time moved on and 9/11 hit things that were already going downhill got worse. I was flying maybe twice a month. I had a friend whom told me that USA Jet Airlines was interviewing and hiring in the summer of 02, I talked to thier Director of Training and sent them a resume, got called for an interview, interviewed on a Monday, got called on thursday and was in ground school the following Monday. This is my first jet job, and flying the Falcon 20 is an awesome plane and the company is great, a real first class operation. I sometimes wonder where I would be if I would have done my ratings back to back and really pushed harder, or If I had not gone to college. Well the answer to the first one might be that I wouyld probably be furloughed from some major, the second would be that I might not have an opportunity to get farther in my avaition career then where I am at. I don't regret going to college at all and delaying my avaition career, but I know many pilots that did accelerate their avaition careers and are now at a stand still due to the lack of a degree. Best of luck, work hard, and enjoy the journey....and most of all have fun.
I was right there in the same position your in about ten years ago. I learned to fly and got my PPL in the late summer of 93, between my junior and senior year in highschool. I went off to college and thought that I was going to fly in the Air Force, I joined ROTC. I made the mistake of putting all my eggs in one basket, I pushed off my flying and only added a rating every other year or so. I had a 3.0+ GPA, over 400 on the PFT test and all in the 90'a on the AFOQT, but what I didn't count on was a Female commander who was on her third strike with the airforce. When things started falling apart I quickly finished up my ratings, Comm, MEL. I graduated from college in 1999, went to work in Dayton Ohio fueling aircraft and teaching people how to fuel airliners, while working on my CFI. I then switched jobs to fly a Baron for a freind of mine while I ran his Marketing department. I then had an opportunity to go work for PSA Airlines in the crew scheduling department, this was a great chance to eventually interview and fly for them. I earned my CFI in May of 2000 and started instructing in Middletowne Ohio at a place called Miami Valley Aviation, the fly DC-3's, Beech 18's Piper Aztecs, Lears, and Falcons. So I flight instructed down there building my time to interview at PSA. Well eventually I interviewed at PSA and no job offer, not sure why but who knows. I then left to fly 135 for MVA in April 0f 2001. I really enjoyed learning about being a "Professional" pilot flying the DC-3, it was a lot of fun. As time moved on and 9/11 hit things that were already going downhill got worse. I was flying maybe twice a month. I had a friend whom told me that USA Jet Airlines was interviewing and hiring in the summer of 02, I talked to thier Director of Training and sent them a resume, got called for an interview, interviewed on a Monday, got called on thursday and was in ground school the following Monday. This is my first jet job, and flying the Falcon 20 is an awesome plane and the company is great, a real first class operation. I sometimes wonder where I would be if I would have done my ratings back to back and really pushed harder, or If I had not gone to college. Well the answer to the first one might be that I wouyld probably be furloughed from some major, the second would be that I might not have an opportunity to get farther in my avaition career then where I am at. I don't regret going to college at all and delaying my avaition career, but I know many pilots that did accelerate their avaition careers and are now at a stand still due to the lack of a degree. Best of luck, work hard, and enjoy the journey....and most of all have fun.
