Looking into becoming a Pilot, any advice?

[Haste]

When i was about 16-17yrs old i looked into becoming a pilot after my scout troop did a piloting tour and we all got to fly around as Co-Pilots for about an hour. It was fun but after looking into the wages and seeing how Regional Airlines were anywhere from $20-30/hour i decided to pursue Computer Science in college instead. Turns out i hate Computer Science, and at the time some things came up in life and i went on a medical withdrawal(family issues + depression).

I'm now 21 and am looking to start pursuing a career somewhere outside of where i work now. Seeing that the pay has increased and that many Regional Airlines include many bonuses for those first starting up their Airline Careers i think this would be a good career to pursue. But i also have many questions.

- I'm out in East Valley AZ, there is an ATP Flight school within 10 minutes of biking distance from my house. would going to ATP be a good idea or are there other cheaper options in my area?

- I hear that you need a First Class Physical, i have a Hiatal Hernia and was wondering if that would be a straight no and if i shouldn't even pursue

- Also at 18 i got a Class 3 Misdemeanor for Excessive Speeding (over 100), i did not get any jail time but did get a fee plus a 90 day booklet to fill out. would this hurt my chances at going Regional or Major in the future?

- I have about 3 years left of college to go through, i have a pretty decent scholarship that's frozen so i'm not worried about costs. I am wondering if i should go through college first then go to Flight school, or would it be better to do flight then college? if i do college after a flight school could i easily balance an instructor job with 15 credit hours of school each semester?

- Lastly, after i get through flight school how much how much time would it take to get to Regional and then a Major? My Calculations have me going to flight school + instructing for about 2-2.5 years, then staying at the regional for about 4-5 years to then get to a Major Airline, is this pretty feasible or am i out of my mind?

Any advice past this is helpful as well, and thank you to all that can help. I've done a bunch of browsing on this forum and have found a large amount of great info already!

 

[Hubbs]

When i was about 16-17yrs old i looked into becoming a pilot after my scout troop did a piloting tour and we all got to fly around as Co-Pilots for about an hour. It was fun but after looking into the wages and seeing how Regional Airlines were anywhere from $20-30/hour i decided to pursue Computer Science in college instead. Turns out i hate Computer Science, and at the time some things came up in life and i went on a medical withdrawal(family issues + depression).

I'm now 21 and am looking to start pursuing a career somewhere outside of where i work now. Seeing that the pay has increased and that many Regional Airlines include many bonuses for those first starting up their Airline Careers i think this would be a good career to pursue. But i also have many questions.

- I'm out in East Valley AZ, there is an ATP Flight school within 10 minutes of biking distance from my house. would going to ATP be a good idea or are there other cheaper options in my area?

ATP has a reputation for getting you done quickly, and I believe they have partnerships with regionals where you can instruct there while being considered a 'cadet' employee of the airline. I don't know the precise details, but I believe there is some tuition reimbursement and perhaps other fringe benefits. I would say you could likely find a local FBO that will be cheaper.

- I hear that you need a First Class Physical, i have a Hiatal Hernia and was wondering if that would be a straight no and if i shouldn't even pursue

This should be your first step. I have no idea if your hernia is disqualifying, although I doubt it, but spending the $100-200 now to ensure you are able to hold the 1st Class is well worth it. You do not want to invest thousands only to find out you have some other disqualifying condition, eg colorblindness.

- Also at 18 i got a Class 3 Misdemeanor for Excessive Speeding (over 100), i did not get any jail time but did get a fee plus a 90 day booklet to fill out. would this hurt my chances at going Regional or Major in the future?

Shouldn't be a big deal, but try really hard not to get any more tickets.

- I have about 3 years left of college to go through, i have a pretty decent scholarship that's frozen so i'm not worried about costs. I am wondering if i should go through college first then go to Flight school, or would it be better to do flight then college? if i do college after a flight school could i easily balance an instructor job with 15 credit hours of school each semester?

Personally, I would finish college and work on your ratings simultaneously. If you put in the effort, you could reasonably expect to graduate with all your ratings including flight instructor.

- Lastly, after i get through flight school how much how much time would it take to get to Regional and then a Major? My Calculations have me going to flight school + instructing for about 2-2.5 years, then staying at the regional for about 4-5 years to then get to a Major Airline, is this pretty feasible or am i out of my mind?

Predicting the future that far out is a fools errand. That said, you will need 1500 hours to go to a regional, a busy flight instructor might fly 100 hours a month. You will likely have 300 hours once you finish your Commercial certificate and Instructor Certificates, so if you really hustle you are looking at a little over a year to get to a regional. As for how long it will take to get to a major, it could be 4 years at the low end, 10+ on the high end. It is impossible to know what the industry will look like that far out.

Any advice past this is helpful as well, and thank you to all that can help. I've done a bunch of browsing on this forum and have found a large amount of great info already!

Answers in bold. Good luck!

 

[milleR]

Turns out i hate Computer Science, and at the time some things came up in life and i went on a medical withdrawal(family issues + depression).

If you were medically treated for depression you might have some hurdles to get over. Make sure you can get a first class medical before getting in any deeper.

 

[Jordan93]

Consult an AME before scheduling your medical and see if you’ll have any issues. Again, CONSULT. Do not schedule your medical until you know you’ll be able to get a first class medical.

 

[Corporate Pilot]

Consult an AME before scheduling your medical and see if you’ll have any issues. Again, CONSULT. Do not schedule your medical until you know you’ll be able to get a first class medical.

Take Jordan93's advice.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

Take Jordan93's advice.

yeah, what that guy said.

 

[Haste]

Answers in bold. Good luck!

I've already failed at the ticket part, though its a civil ticket (speeding of 8mph!), so hopefully that doesn't change anything, but let me know if it does :L. as far as doing college while working on my ratings would you say it would be a good idea to go through my colleges (ASU) Aviation program to build that up over about 3-3.5 years (not all my credits from CS would transfer, but some would). Otherwise i was thinking of doing something involving business/finances as that is one of my passions along with piloting

 

[Haste]

If you were medically treated for depression you might have some hurdles to get over. Make sure you can get a first class medical before getting in any deeper.

I did not take any medication for depression, i knew that it was more of a situational depression than a mental one (though there is some mental, but it rarely ever interferes with my actual life).

 

[Haste]

Consult an AME before scheduling your medical and see if you’ll have any issues. Again, CONSULT. Do not schedule your medical until you know you’ll be able to get a first class medical.

When you say consult, would you recommend me calling up an AME and figuring out what the first class medical may entail or go in for like an office visit of some sort?

 

[Haste]

Also thank you everyone for your replies, very grateful for all the info. Having the concern taken off my shoulders will be nice if i move forward on this path.

 

[Corporate Pilot]

When you say consult, would you recommend me calling up an AME and figuring out what the first class medical may entail or go in for like an office visit of some sort?

Make an office visit, you will probably pay the same as an actual exam. It is worth it first time out or when you later have a medical problem. I have heard some Medical Examiners will not do consultations, find one that will. If you ask I am sure someone will recommend some Medical Examiners in the Phoenix area. The best Medical Examiner generally is one that does FAA exams full time.

This is the form you will need to fill out before the actual exam. https://www.aviationmedicine.com/wp...PPLICATION-FOR-AIRMAN-MEDICAL-CERTIFICATE.pdf but now you do it online at Login. The Medical Examiner instructions for the form https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/media/applicant history.pdf

Look the application over and ask the Medical Examiner any questions you have, especially about medical history. Do not file a Medxpress before the consultation, only fill it out before the actual exam. The Medical Examiner should advise you about any medical documentation that should be included in the application for your Hiatal Hernia problem. Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners

 

[Eagle421flyer]

I would finish college first and maybe start to get rating on the side while in school (once you’ve taken the above advice on making sure you can get a medical first). True many of the airlines aren’t really “requiring” a degree but it sure is helpful to fall back on when you get furloughed. Your time frame in theory sounds good for the folks that started a few years ago, just keep in mind the airline industry is extremely cyclical and it’s been good for a while so at some point I would guess in the next 4-5 years it’s going to turn south and become a little less rosie again for a while. Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jtrain609]

When i was about 16-17yrs old i looked into becoming a pilot after my scout troop did a piloting tour and we all got to fly around as Co-Pilots for about an hour. It was fun but after looking into the wages and seeing how Regional Airlines were anywhere from $20-30/hour i decided to pursue Computer Science in college instead. Turns out i hate Computer Science, and at the time some things came up in life and i went on a medical withdrawal(family issues + depression).

I'm now 21 and am looking to start pursuing a career somewhere outside of where i work now. Seeing that the pay has increased and that many Regional Airlines include many bonuses for those first starting up their Airline Careers i think this would be a good career to pursue. But i also have many questions.

- I'm out in East Valley AZ, there is an ATP Flight school within 10 minutes of biking distance from my house. would going to ATP be a good idea or are there other cheaper options in my area?

- I hear that you need a First Class Physical, i have a Hiatal Hernia and was wondering if that would be a straight no and if i shouldn't even pursue

- Also at 18 i got a Class 3 Misdemeanor for Excessive Speeding (over 100), i did not get any jail time but did get a fee plus a 90 day booklet to fill out. would this hurt my chances at going Regional or Major in the future?

- I have about 3 years left of college to go through, i have a pretty decent scholarship that's frozen so i'm not worried about costs. I am wondering if i should go through college first then go to Flight school, or would it be better to do flight then college? if i do college after a flight school could i easily balance an instructor job with 15 credit hours of school each semester?

- Lastly, after i get through flight school how much how much time would it take to get to Regional and then a Major? My Calculations have me going to flight school + instructing for about 2-2.5 years, then staying at the regional for about 4-5 years to then get to a Major Airline, is this pretty feasible or am i out of my mind?

Any advice past this is helpful as well, and thank you to all that can help. I've done a bunch of browsing on this forum and have found a large amount of great info already!

A few things.

I have a hiatal hernia, and it's no problem for a first class medical.

Depression, on the other hand, is. You can get a first class while using an SSRI, but it might take a year or two. Get that process started now before you do anything else.

 

[bucksmith]

I'm not sure what a medical withdrawal indicates, but he said he never took meds. I'm not sure what "treatment" would require disclosure, does the form ask about counciling during a tough period? It's been years of "previously reported, no changes" for me, I can't remember. Just curious, and I'd hate to advise the guy to unnecessarily open a can of worms.
Maybe one of our resident experts could expand a bit.
@Maximillian_Jenius , does this get into your wheel house at all?

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

I'm not sure what a medical withdrawal indicates, but he said he never took meds. I'm not sure what "treatment" would require disclosure, does the form ask about counciling during a tough period? It's been years of "previously reported, no changes" for me, I can't remember. Just curious, and I'd hate to advise the guy to unnecessarily open a can of worms.
Maybe one of our resident experts could expand a bit.
@Maximillian_Jenius , does this get into your wheel house at all?

Biochemical/neurotransmitter related disorder aren't really my bag baby. I specialize in more abnormal psych, like personality disorders. Behavioral disorders a very fascinating.

But I would advise the OP to divulge this stuff to the ME and start the process now. Depression and anxiety as @jtrain609 mentioned aren't a disqualifier for a first class. But it's a process like was mentioned it's gonna take about a year or so. I have a good friend going through this right now. He seems to be progressing along with the process.