How did you guys do it?

jtrain609 said:
Hey @DanC, don't listen to anything here @Seggy says. First, he's embarrassed that he's not only from New Jersey, but went to undergraduate there. Worse, he tries to compensate for going to a Big East school by trying to claim that he went to a Big 10 program.

If you're going to Michigan State or Michigan, shoot me a PM and we'll grab lunch and talk about this.
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that would have been great, but sorry man, I'm actually at Penn State.
 
Finish school, get a decent job, live well below your means and start flying every weekend at the local airport. I did this, and started working part time on weekends at the FBO...so I had no money and no days off but I could rent a Cessna for a reduced employee rate. Then I found a job in aviation that offered me amazing networking and learning opportunities. Once I had my cfi certs I made the transition to flying. Living well below your means prepares you to live within your means when you make the career shift to flying full time.

Basically, live in roach motels and wait tables now because you want to, and are working towards something, as opposed to living in roach motels later because you have to once Sallie Mae owns you. As you are still in school, maybe think about heading out to your local airport, taking a lesson, seeing if they need part time rampers. Eventually if you want to pull the trigger and hop to a quick school for a rating or an add on, you can.

I get it, I know you're hungry now, a quick school sounds so good. They're selling you a dream that you can achieve on your own if you do the research. Only you know what the right choice is for you. Don't be discouraged by people saying don't go to these schools...for some they are the right choice. But you can still feed that fire by flying locally, and save a ton of money.
 
Seggy said:
Why do you care? You didn't go to one.

I, on the other hand, graduated from a Big 10 school.

To the original poster, don't under ANY circumstance leave your school early to pursue flying. Graduate from your Big 10 school and then take up flying full time.
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When did you graduate?

When did your former school join the Big10? I don't think there is a grandfather provision...... ;-)
 
Tld said:
Finish school, get a decent job, live well below your means and start flying every weekend at the local airport. I did this, and started working part time on weekends at the FBO...so I had no money and no days off but I could rent a Cessna for a reduced employee rate. Then I found a job in aviation that offered me amazing networking and learning opportunities. Once I had my cfi certs I made the transition to flying. Living well below your means prepares you to live within your means when you make the career shift to flying full time.

Basically, live in roach motels and wait tables now because you want to, and are working towards something, as opposed to living in roach motels later because you have to once Sallie Mae owns you. As you are still in school, maybe think about heading out to your local airport, taking a lesson, seeing if they need part time rampers. Eventually if you want to pull the trigger and hop to a quick school for a rating or an add on, you can.

I get it, I know you're hungry now, a quick school sounds so good. They're selling you a dream that you can achieve on your own if you do the research. Only you know what the right choice is for you. Don't be discouraged by people saying don't go to these schools...for some they are the right choice. But you can still feed that fire by flying locally, and save a ton of money.
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QFT.
 
DanC said:
That's what I was thinking, but one of the ATP admissions guys called me and started talking to me about their fast track program and was being really pushy towards getting me to apply asap. He's actually the one that suggested that I should drop into online school... which I know they are in the business of signing students, but he had me convinced that starting sooner was the best way to go.
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The ATP guy's opinion is obviously biased. Get the ppl. Make sure you love flying and as I said earlier build hours during your senior year. Get your instrument rating right after your spring semester...there are independent 5 to 10 day programs that do this...keep building hours. Get to about 240 hours total time..get the commercial. From there you can get your CFI. Do a cost comparison and I'm pretty sure this will be way cheaper than ATP.

Find a full time CFI job and you can get to 1500 hours in a year to year and half. Give or take. YMMV

Now start reading different threads and asking questions. The more you know the better off you'll be.
 
Finish school! Most important thing. Your in a great spot even if it takes you 5 years to get up to the ATP level. I have all my ratings but no degree and wish I had done it different. I now have to juggle my full time flying job, wife, kids etc....which is making getting my degree difficult.

Derek
 
I started to write a response but realized a hearty "+1" on all of the above responses (minus the collegiate unit measuring) will do. Any phone call from any pilot mill is from a salesperson. Finish that degree!


Yup, I said "unit"!
 
First things first. Don't let anyone discourage you. If you think the airlines are your dream, then make it your dream. However don't be naive.

Next thing, don't self eliminate. That means, no DUIs, no smoking pot, no getting a girl pregnant or if you're a girl, don't get pregnant. These are just a few examples.

After all that. Keep your eye on the goal and always always always keep the dream alive.

Last but not least, don't go into an insane amount of debt. Like no more than 5k.
 
ahsmatt7 said:
First things first. Don't let anyone discourage you.
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The rest is very good advice, but I take issue with this. Of course you should let people discourage you, just as you should let them encourage you. Putting your hands over your ears and screaming "WORK FIVE DAYS A MONTH MAKE $300K FLY COOL AIRPLANES ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!!" every time someone explains/expresses something that might make you rethink your suppositions is not a good strategy for making a rational decision.

A rational, sound decision is made by acquiring all of the knowledge which is available, then analyzing it through the filter of your own desires, needs, expectations, etc.
 
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