I wouldn’t quite say I’m broke, but let’s just say if I want to stay consistent with my training, I need to fly more than I am right now. I’ve applied to many scholarships (got one), taken out many loans (don’t want to owe my soul). Me and my friends are talking about splitting time but our schedules don’t allow us to as often as I’d like. I just turned 34 and not getting any younger. Want to get my commercial certificate sooner rather than later. What are some ways you guys could suggest or recommend that would help me get these hours? I’ve looked into the Delta propel Program and the republic airways cadet program but it seems each program still requires a loan. Any feedback would be greatly beneficial! Thanks.
Like the others have said, this doesn't completely dovetail with your situation from 10 years ago, so I, too, am curious.
However, a lot changes in 10 years, so I'll assume good faith and that your priorities have changed and, perhaps, this is where your head is. Speaking from experience, this is not uncommon.
At 36, I had a PPL, and had been out of the cockpit for a couple of years. (Took a hiatus from JC, too, come to think of it.) It took some convincing to start grinding it out again, so I did, paying as I went, getting current again, then doing the IR, Commercial, Commercial SeaPlane (for fun), CFI, Multi, CFII and MEI, and I finally pulled the trigger last year and applied to (and was accepted at) a regional airline. I'm an airline pilot now after more than 25 years in tech.
And I'm 49. So....13 years from PPL to ATP.
It can and should be done faster, if you're thinking "I'm not getting any younger."
The two biggest things that kept me on a long timeline were these: First - I didn't really know what I wanted. I was thinking that professional aviation MIGHT be something I wanted, but wasn't sure for a while, and since I liked flying, training and pursuing ratings were something I'd need to do anyway. Might as well enjoy the journey while figuring it out. It really wasn't until one of my mentors died right after I started instructing that I had a painful sense of how short life was and I went full-throttle on training - but even then, it was part-time.
Second - there were sacrifices - mostly in lifestyle - that I was unwilling to make. My wife had just changed careers, and was both excited and happy about what she was doing, so I kept flying as a secondary priority so I could stay in the extant job with the associated income and keep us in a manner to which we were accustomed. To be fair, we could have made some changes earlier that would have accommodated us both but that was what we chose at the time. Decided to have our cake and eat it, so to speak, at the price of time. Even bought an airplane along the way and have had some excellent adventures and experiences.
Looking back - and Mrs. Killbilly would very likely agree - I would have moved sooner, faster, and with more commitment - right around 2018, had I quit the other gig, instructed full time and converted equity into cash to offset income, I would likely (can't know for sure) be employed at LEAST at an LCC with some seniority, and possibly even a Legacy/Major if the timing was right, able to make up that income shortfall more quickly. I wouldn't have had all of the experiences and might not have owned an airplane, but I'd be a lot closer to the destination. <shrug> Either way is fine, for me, honestly.
I tell you all of that to tell you that there is an opportunity cost, and only you can decide what is both possible AND desirable, but I will guarantee you that more things are possible than desirable.
So - you ask:
What are some ways you guys could suggest or recommend that would help me get these hours?
You get flight time by flying. So fly. Beagle mentioned gliders. I'd tell you to buy an airplane, fly the hell out of it and sell it, or get into a partnership and do same. If you don't have the financial wherewithal to do that, figure out what you CAN do - to live - and then borrow the least amount of money at the lowest rate you can - and fly. Worth noting that it's likely easier to finance an airplane than straight up training since it's a secured loan.
It depends on your tolerance for debt vs. lifestyle vs. timeline. Decide what you want and when, and then work backwards. Make a plan.
