AgLA06 said:
Dumb question for someone with kids starting to talk about careers.
Is going civilian the best way to do this if they want to be a pilot?
Is going military academy or large military college a better route?
Harley, if you had a kid in junior high talking about being a pilot, what would you think is the most sure fire way you'd advise them to approach high school / college paths?
AgLA06:
My thoughts/opinions/observations that may be helpful (probably long-winded):
- Everyone in the industry that answers the question about best way to get there will have a huge variation of opinions mostly based on their own experience or those close to them. But, there are huge variations in outcomes attempting the same path. I would really talk to someone that seen a lot of cycles and seen a lot of paths before just saying "so and so is a 747 captain making $600K....I'm going to listen to him. Or so and so went to the Air Force Academy and flew f-15's, I'm going to listen to him."
- Pilot hiring is one of the most cyclical hiring dynamics in the universe. Peaks are way too high and valleys are way too low. Everyone always thinks what they are observing or just observed is going to last forever. It will not. You can't control that cycle...so you want to put yourself in the best possible position for all places along that curve whether it's starting out or when you are a captain at a major.
- I think getting to a major or UPS or Fedex as quickly as possible ought to be the assumed goal of every young pilot starting out. Why...because a much better quality of life than a lot of other positions (and yes, I had 700 corporate pilots at one time), much higher pay, much greater job security, much better retirement, much better protection against the vagaries of health and economics. That's my opinion....individuals are unique and lots of folks have different priorities than I do.
- And, I think the speed at which you get to a major and get your seniority is very important. Why? Because with mandatory retirement ages, every extra year you spend making $40,000 as a CFI early in your life is one less year you will spend making $500K in the left seat a major. And, because when it comes to airline furloughs, mergers, schedules, pay schedules, equipment changes, seat changes etc....it's all about seniority and not proficiency at that point.
- Early in the process, the quality of your hours really does matter. Flying 500 hours in twin turbine jets in and out of smaller fields, 100% instrument flying, and communications with controllers at .82 mach...or flying 500 hours in military jets in various conditions is completely different than flying 500 hours mostly in the pattern at .15 mach in class D airspace. It's just night and day. I've seen plenty of 2,000 hour pilots that mostly did flight instruction in a 172 or twin piston struggle with basic communication with controllers in class B and/or above 10,000 feet. They will eventually be successful....but they usually have a lot of catching up to do compared to peers that had higher quality hours. As an employer, the less catching up the better so the guy further along is going to get the job.
- When hiring is at it's peak, quality of hours will not matter. When not at peak cycle....quality of hours is very important. When hiring is at it's peak, a college degree will not matter...when hiring is not at its peak a college degree is often a prerequisite.
- Early in your career when you're trying to get to 1,500 hours and your unrestricted ATP at 23......your network is very important. Get networked someway with organizations that may hire you or cause you to be hired someday. This gets a lot of emphasis online....and it should.
- Amount of money that you have for training means an AWFUL LOT early in the process. Except for the military route....it's going to expensive. Building flight hours Part 61 is expensive....building flight hours Part 141 will be even more expensive. It will be more expensive than you expect.....just expect it to be expensive.
- A lot of debate around Part 141 vs Part 61 route. My son that flies the business jet at 21 (started at 20) and my BIL who is captain at major on a heavy both did part 61. My nephew is a multi engine CFII instructor at a Part 141 in Texas. It's all about the ability to time build once you have your ratings and are trying to get to 1,500 hours.
- MOST IMPORTANT OPINION: It's very hard for someone to become a professional pilot without a very deep love of aviation, discipline and self-actualization. It's an awful lot of studying for licenses and type ratings and aircraft systems. You really do have to be willing to pay the dues in the long term. Flying is the fun part...the untold greater number of hours of making sure you pass the exams (both written and oral parts) is much more tedious and challenging.
- Try to do everything possible to not flunk a single check ride. Prepare, prepare and prepare more. It's certainly not fatal, but if your resume shows you never ever flunked a check ride for private pilot, instrument, multi, commercial, ATP or for any type rating...that's rare and a huge plus that you can control that will stand out on your resume/interview.
- If my 16yo son were starting today, I would recommend the following path:
- take dual credit classes in high school that will help you get your online college degree faster.
- expect to get a 100% online degree at any state college with a reasonable reputation....tons of them out there.
- start flying at 16 and working on your ratings. Only rush it if you have the money to do so and are willing to study, study, study and practice to ensure you never flunk a check ride or exam.
- if funds are really low....go the military route. It's just too much money otherwise. Part 141 with loans is possible....but that's an awful lot of money for something that's not guaranteed. What if you have an eyesight or medical problem in your early or mid 20's?
- Once you have your private, instrument, multi and commercial....you'll probably have 300 hours. Now start looking for a job to build hours. My son got a job flying aerial tours of DFW in a 182 and built a few hundred hours that way. We then decided to accelerate the process and bought a 182 and let him build another 300 hours. He didn't just build hours....he did lots of instrument cross country and lots of communicating. At nine hundred hours and at age 20 he became first officer on business jet and has flown his pants off in the first year...about 600 hours per year and a few type ratings....and getting paid six figures. (all while going to university fulltime 100% online). As a side note, he took a commercial job out in California and quit after 30 days after he experienced how unsafe the operator was. That was a huge let down.
- My personal experience is biased as relates to building time as a flight instructor. It can be very slow depending on the flight school; and I think can be dangerous. I had an instructor that died while instructing at the time I was getting my private. I've known a couple of other great kids that died instructing. I think it's kind of crazy that we have our least experienced pilots doing the instruction...but that's the industry. My opinion is surely biased by my personal experience. My BIL built his hours to ATP by instructing.
- get your online college degree while building hours.
Conclusion is same at introduction. Lots can and will change, lots can and will happen. Do everything you can so that you start getting seniority at a major as quickly as you can. Don't get too encouraged or discouraged by the pilot hiring cycle....just set yourself up to be in the best possible position for every cycle.
Lots of words...sorry.
