OK I'm glad I found this page and these forums, looks like alot of good stuff in here.
Now heres my situation.
....I'm a 22 year old college student with zero flying experience other then a first flight. So flight wise I'd start from zero. I'm thinking of the possibility of becoming a commerical cargo or airline pilot.
I'm not that great of a student book wise, but when it
comes to things that are hands on I'm pretty good at. Not trying to sound snobby but I had my IQ tested by a professional psychologist and it was in the "above average" range, although my school work doesnt show it. I hover around a 2.0 GPA, and hate to study stuff that isnt directly related to what I'm trying to learn. But I have taken driver's ed, motorcycle ed, welding and scuba diving to name the major ones and each time I've picked it up very quickly. Probably because they are all very hands on, instead of calculus 3 and differential equations which takes it to the next realm.
My eductation goes like this. I went to a 4 year college out of HS. I didnt do so hot, but I picked up some credits. I went back to the local community college and I have a associates degree in business from there and am now studying engineering there but its getting difficult (and boring). So this got me thinking into perhaps becoming a commercial pilot. Yes, I've read the FAQs around the net like beapilot.com and from this site and from the various flight schools.
Ive gathered so far that 1) flight school is expensive 2) it takes
3000+ hours for you to even be considered by the major airlines or shipping companies and even then the hiring chances are slim. Ss in the meantime you make diddly piddly 3) the market right now for career pilots isnt that hot (also verified by looking at all the airline websites and employment websites for pilots and thers almost none) 4) you're gonna be one poor SOB before you reach the commercial airlines 5) it is VERY competitive out there 6) very very few pilots get to do the 200K+ per year, and make their own schedules and spend time in luxury hotel on a tropical island and work 60 hours a month. Otherwise you'll be lucky to spent 10 nights out of the month at home. Also, my moms friend's neighbor is a commerical airline pilot (not sure what or for who) but she said that he must rent an apartment in boston (not paid for by the airline) cause he's based out of there, in addition to having his home in Virginia where his family is.
On the optimistic side, I'm thinking when/if I got out in 4 or 5 years or so, the market will be better looking. Is it true many of the vietnam and korea pilots will be required to reture by age 60 and this would open up the market some? Also, almost no job just starting out of school is going
to pay the big bucks that you have to work and cilmb up the ladder for. But it seems the low end is pretty low.
It looks like my parents are willing to support me for what I want to do, so money isnt a primary concern. This would be my plan:
I'm would go civilian. I would be trying to get a degree no matter what. I found that Univ. of MD Eastern Shore offers a BS in aviation sciences with a concentration in commercial piloting. Good part is my associates in business would transfer the gen. ed requirements. Also that major has some business courses too (accounting + economics) and I have already taken those. Since I'm and engineering major now, the calculus and physics and computer programming classes should also transfer. So this would be more then 1/2 the academics out of the way. I hope to do that in the spring. In the meantime I would drop dynamics and calculus 3 in engineering and take ground school and flight time for the PPL at the local airpark and that will also transfer. Hopefully I would have that done by early next year. So in the grand scope of things I'll have my commerical license in 2.5 or 3 years, which would make me 25. And by then maybe/hopefully tthe job market will be better then it is now.
I'm at the point now that I just need a BS degree in anything. I hope I'll be able to pass flight school. Worst comes to worse at least I would have a BS degree in SOMETHING (I hope) and I would be certified to have an ultra cool hobby. After all, even if in the end flying isnt for me, how many people have degrees in one thing but wind up doing something totally different?
I've thought alot about this too. I used to be an IT major (goodthing I got out of that), but at this point I need a degree in something and engineering I most likely wont be able or have the desire to go through. I've tried once before (first time at a 4 year mind you) and I'm back at the community college level and courses like dynamics, calculus 3 and calculus based physics are taking a toll not only on my santity but also my GPA. The honest truth is I've never been that good at math to begin with and all that is compounding.
I think what I'm going to do for the time being is at least apply to the other college that way I have somewhere to go. And, take flying lessons cause after all having a pilots license I want to do no matter what. It would be good if I had something else to fall back on, but right
now I have zero but a AS in business.
I know nobody really "knows" me, so this will be hard but what am I getting myself into.
Now heres my situation.
....I'm a 22 year old college student with zero flying experience other then a first flight. So flight wise I'd start from zero. I'm thinking of the possibility of becoming a commerical cargo or airline pilot.
I'm not that great of a student book wise, but when it
comes to things that are hands on I'm pretty good at. Not trying to sound snobby but I had my IQ tested by a professional psychologist and it was in the "above average" range, although my school work doesnt show it. I hover around a 2.0 GPA, and hate to study stuff that isnt directly related to what I'm trying to learn. But I have taken driver's ed, motorcycle ed, welding and scuba diving to name the major ones and each time I've picked it up very quickly. Probably because they are all very hands on, instead of calculus 3 and differential equations which takes it to the next realm.
My eductation goes like this. I went to a 4 year college out of HS. I didnt do so hot, but I picked up some credits. I went back to the local community college and I have a associates degree in business from there and am now studying engineering there but its getting difficult (and boring). So this got me thinking into perhaps becoming a commercial pilot. Yes, I've read the FAQs around the net like beapilot.com and from this site and from the various flight schools.
Ive gathered so far that 1) flight school is expensive 2) it takes
3000+ hours for you to even be considered by the major airlines or shipping companies and even then the hiring chances are slim. Ss in the meantime you make diddly piddly 3) the market right now for career pilots isnt that hot (also verified by looking at all the airline websites and employment websites for pilots and thers almost none) 4) you're gonna be one poor SOB before you reach the commercial airlines 5) it is VERY competitive out there 6) very very few pilots get to do the 200K+ per year, and make their own schedules and spend time in luxury hotel on a tropical island and work 60 hours a month. Otherwise you'll be lucky to spent 10 nights out of the month at home. Also, my moms friend's neighbor is a commerical airline pilot (not sure what or for who) but she said that he must rent an apartment in boston (not paid for by the airline) cause he's based out of there, in addition to having his home in Virginia where his family is.
On the optimistic side, I'm thinking when/if I got out in 4 or 5 years or so, the market will be better looking. Is it true many of the vietnam and korea pilots will be required to reture by age 60 and this would open up the market some? Also, almost no job just starting out of school is going
to pay the big bucks that you have to work and cilmb up the ladder for. But it seems the low end is pretty low.
It looks like my parents are willing to support me for what I want to do, so money isnt a primary concern. This would be my plan:
I'm would go civilian. I would be trying to get a degree no matter what. I found that Univ. of MD Eastern Shore offers a BS in aviation sciences with a concentration in commercial piloting. Good part is my associates in business would transfer the gen. ed requirements. Also that major has some business courses too (accounting + economics) and I have already taken those. Since I'm and engineering major now, the calculus and physics and computer programming classes should also transfer. So this would be more then 1/2 the academics out of the way. I hope to do that in the spring. In the meantime I would drop dynamics and calculus 3 in engineering and take ground school and flight time for the PPL at the local airpark and that will also transfer. Hopefully I would have that done by early next year. So in the grand scope of things I'll have my commerical license in 2.5 or 3 years, which would make me 25. And by then maybe/hopefully tthe job market will be better then it is now.
I'm at the point now that I just need a BS degree in anything. I hope I'll be able to pass flight school. Worst comes to worse at least I would have a BS degree in SOMETHING (I hope) and I would be certified to have an ultra cool hobby. After all, even if in the end flying isnt for me, how many people have degrees in one thing but wind up doing something totally different?
I've thought alot about this too. I used to be an IT major (goodthing I got out of that), but at this point I need a degree in something and engineering I most likely wont be able or have the desire to go through. I've tried once before (first time at a 4 year mind you) and I'm back at the community college level and courses like dynamics, calculus 3 and calculus based physics are taking a toll not only on my santity but also my GPA. The honest truth is I've never been that good at math to begin with and all that is compounding.
I think what I'm going to do for the time being is at least apply to the other college that way I have somewhere to go. And, take flying lessons cause after all having a pilots license I want to do no matter what. It would be good if I had something else to fall back on, but right
now I have zero but a AS in business.
I know nobody really "knows" me, so this will be hard but what am I getting myself into.