Decisions Decisions

[pilot4500]

I also have to say get the degree. You will be very thankful down the road that you did. It is possible to get the degree later in life like I am, but it will be a lot easier for you if you get it done now. Especially if you are this close to being done.

 

[Turbolag]

Thanks again everyone for the replies. It is reassuring to hear it from other people. I think I will just stick it out. Basically my two options are go for the marine transportation, or get a General Studies Degree and then work my way into regionals. I am not too sure if I want to drop 56,000 dollars on ATP. I guess worst case scenario would be I get there, graduate, and am in a ton o debt and begin instructing there if they would hire me. But never get hired with the airlines, or if I did, get furloughed. Ah, I don't know, I have plenty of time to decide. Like someone stated previously, school should be my focus now. I think every now and then some of us need a little motivation or a push to keep us going.

You know, the more I think about it, is becoming an airline pilot a dream of all young people? A couple weeks ago I was logging into Yahoo to check my email, and I saw a news article on the headlines that said the top 10 most satisfying jobs. Well guess what number 10 was......Airline pilots. I can remember when I flew to New York as a child for a school project, when we boarded the plane I was always looking to the left when I entered the aircraft to see the cockpit. I was always in awwww..... The pilots always would let you take a look too, so that was really cool. I can also remember talking to my neighbor, who is an aeronautical engineer and his father was an airline pilot. We would always talk about planes and the airlines. I was about 12 at this point, and was pretty set on becoming an airline pilot. Even though at that time, he told me the pay was bad. But, I don't think the low FO pay would bother me too much. As long as I like going to work everyday. Plus, I think we all want to say the famous lines in the airplane.... Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, uhhhhhh... we will be cruising at 35,000 feet today, uhhhhhhhh if you look to your right after departure you will see this historic landmark....uhhhhhh.....thanks for flying with us and I hope you have a nice flight.

So, maybe becoming an airline pilot is just a fantasy, and sometimes I/we need to realize that there are other jobs besides flying for Southwest. One of my flight instructors told me to just fly for fun. Thats cool and all. But it seems like it would be more of a privilege to fly people to their destination, or fly cargo so goods can be received, and so forth.

The two things that have always interested me the most are ships, and planes. So the two professions I want to focus on are going to be either shipping, or aviation.

 

[surreal1221]

Top 10 satisfying jobs?

I suppose they could be right, since they are only asking about the JOB and not the horrible industry that we have to work in.

Love the job, hate the industry.

 

[killbilly]

Brock,

I'm going to advise you to get the degree as well, but from a completely different perspective....

I'm relatively well employed without a degree, mostly through a crapload of hard work and making good contacts and networking through my career.

95% of my friends have, at the very least, one degree. Better than 50% of those have graduate degrees, and a handful have doctorates. Hell, my girlfriend has two BAs and one MA degree.

At 18 years old, college was not really an option for me, it could have been, but I chose a different path due to my circumstances. And while I don't regret those choices, I do think I missed out on a lot of good things. These days, I self-educate, however, there are some things I wish I had done, learned, experienced, studied.

I have no frame of reference when my friends talk about college, and sometimes, it's a little bit painful. There isn't a single one of them who think less of me because I am less educated, but at the same time, I don't always feel like an equal.

In my 30s, that kind of feeling weighs much heavier on me than I ever thought it would.

But here's the most salient point - and please take this as a valid voice of experience and not condescension - I certainly don't mean it that way:

When you're 17-18, you're just beginning to glimpse the way the world really "works." What you'll find when you hit 30 is that you feel like relatively the same person you were when you were 18. The difference will be in how you feel about how you got there. Your education is going to be the swiss-army knife in your personal toolbox, giving you options, instead of being someone who only knows how to do one thing. This, more than anything else, is more important than four years of seniority.

Finish school. Sounds like you're most of the way there.

Me? I might be the creepy "old" guy who shows up in some of your freshman classes.

Apologies for the length of the post, but I felt like this was worth saying.

PM me if you want to chat further.

-b

 

[t-cart]

Excellent post killbilly,Excellent.

 

[Turbolag]

Thanks a lot for the reply killbilly. It certainly addresses some factors that need to be considered before making any changes.

 

[Turbolag]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the responses. I am absolutely going to focus on school for now. I think I will pursue a General Studies degree with a minor in business. Unless the Maritime Academy excepts me, then I will probably begin working towards a Marine Transportation degree.

Here is my next question. While focusing on school and getting my degree, here are a list of options, and I was just wondering which would be the best.

A. Get my ppl in the c-172 and log as many hours as I can, and when I graduate go to ATP.

B. Get my ppl in the c-172 and begin getting all my ratings, like instrument, commercial pilot and so forth.

C. get my ppl in the c-172 and get ratings for just the c-172 and not work on any ME time until I get to ATP.

I just want to have a general path laid out so I know what I can to while I go to school. I just like to have things set up in advance. Should I log any ME time before flight school ? Or is it just better to log as much time in the single engine aircraft?

Any replies are much appreciated ! Thanks everyone for taking the time and answering my long and demanding questions.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the responses. I am absolutely going to focus on school for now. I think I will pursue a General Studies degree with a minor in business. Unless the Maritime Academy excepts me, then I will probably begin working towards a Marine Transportation degree.

Here is my next question. While focusing on school and getting my degree, here are a list of options, and I was just wondering which would be the best.

A. Get my ppl in the c-172 and log as many hours as I can, and when I graduate go to ATP.

B. Get my ppl in the c-172 and begin getting all my ratings, like instrument, commercial pilot and so forth.

C. get my ppl in the c-172 and get ratings for just the c-172 and not work on any ME time until I get to ATP.

I just want to have a general path laid out so I know what I can to while I go to school. I just like to have things set up in advance. Should I log any ME time before flight school ? Or is it just better to log as much time in the single engine aircraft?

Any replies are much appreciated ! Thanks everyone for taking the time and answering my long and demanding questions.

I think you'll have fun and learn more about flying and yourself doing it Part 61. If you go the ATP route you'll be drilled to become an airline pilot from day 1 there. I'm not saying that's wrong but just think about being able to learn on your own, at your pace, in a relaxed environment, as opposed to a ground school like at an airline. You only get to acquire your ratings once, have fun doing it.

I went to ERAU for all ratings except for initial instrument. I had the most fun and felt I learned a lot doing my instrument rating with my private instructor, who challenged me to learn on my own rather than be "spoon-fed".

Just a few cents for you.... decide what you want to do.

 

[JustinA]

I would suggest looking into embry riddle, purdue university, or MTSU. MTSU is probably the cheapest and they have a fantastic Aerospace program. Your degree would then be in Aviation and this will make it easier because you will be attending classes like private pilot, navigation, IFR class, commercial class, powerplants, aerodynamics, etc... things you enojy.

To be honest I hated high school. My first two years of college I hated them also. But when I changed my degree to Aerospace a new life was found inside of me. Classes became enjoyable, and my grades went up!

ohhhh break it down :nana2:

 

[Turbolag]

Thanks for the replies. I was just checked on a couple of the schools you guys listed. Embry Riddle looks like a lot of fun ! and so does MTSU. Embry is so expensive though. How did you pay for it ? I guess if I were able to go I would get student loans.

But if I decide on sticking here, I will just focus on the ppl and go from there. Either way.......

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Thanks for the replies. I was just checked on a couple of the schools you guys listed. Embry Riddle looks like a lot of fun ! and so does MTSU. Embry is so expensive though. How did you pay for it ? I guess if I were able to go I would get student loans.

But if I decide on sticking here, I will just focus on the ppl and go from there. Either way.......

Friends don't let friends attend ERAU.

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

Part 61 is the way to go... I loved flying a Cub, Pitts, Taylor Craft, Aeronca much more than the automated Q 4. Had a blast hoping into an airplane with a student and flying from DC to FL to TX to LA to ND to CO to WI and back... best 2 weeks of flying ever. Got the trill of my life landing on a runway plowed out in a lake in NH during the winter... braking action NILL?!? Flying photo missions, fire patrols, game and fish surveys, power line surveys. All stuff you get to do 61 and 91

if money is a concern, rent a 152, not 172. You will learn just as much. I have no idea what rates are now, but when i did it, a 152 was 45/hr? 172 was like 85/hr i think. (It's probably a whole lot more now)

Also, if you pump gas for an FBO while learning, you often get a decent discount on prices. The contacts you make while working the line can, and will help you out in your career if you decide not to go to an airline. I bet a lot of Net Jets pilots that did not come from a 121 gig have "Ramp" on their resume somewhere...

If you pick Riddle, or one of the others, I honestly recommend a NON aviation degree. I got mine in Aerospace Engineering... and loved my stay in Daytona. If this job doesn't work out... I'm qualified to do other things with my life

 

[Turbolag]

Thanks for the advice. I won't be going to those colleges. Too expensive for me.

Hey I have a question, and sorry to sound so green but, what do the numbers mean? Part 61? Part 91 ? What are those and what are some others? Thanks

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

They are references to the federal regulations. Part 61 refers to the certification of pilots, instructors and ground instructors.(the type of training program you will be taking) 141 is a large school with an approved course or training syllabus, part 91 is the type of operations... Part 91 is most general aviation, 121 is scheduled air carriers, 135 is charter, scheduled, on demand etc.

If you rent an airplane and go fly by yourself, that would be governed by part 91.

 

[ozziecat35]

I'm in a relatively similar position, I'm 25 yrs old, married w/ a mortgage and a baby on the way, working 2 jobs, and trying to finish flight school as well. I'm coming from a different background though, 4 years military and when I went in had it all planned, go enlisted, become a warrant officer, and fly blackhawks or RC-12's depending if I got a fixed or rotary class...long story short, did non of the above, stayed 4 years enlisted, got out because I met my wife, didn't want her to deal with the military, and decided...you know, taking out a 25K loan to go to a part 141 school to get VA reimbursements sounds smart!! Well, 25K is not enough to get through even your commercial, I currently have my PPL and Inst. but that's it...And to top it all off, I don't even have a degree....I have about 45 hrs towards a BA in Electronics, and I really should use those VA benefits to go to a CC to finish that up. Long story short, had I gotten a degree for free while in the Army, I wouldn't have to worry about it now, and could focus on saving $$ for flying rather than trying to pay off a 25K private loan....

GET THE DEGREE!!!

Good luck!

Matt