Let me apologize in advance for both the length of my post as well as its presumably repetitive nature. Like hundreds of wide-eyed pilots-to-be who came before me, I have questions regarding how I should pursue a life-long dream of becoming a professional pilot.
Essential Data
- I'm 29 years old, married, with a 4 year old son and 3 year old daughter
- I'm a software consultant making close to a six-figure salary. Not only am I ready to walk away from it, I CAN'T WAIT TO.
- I have $2100 per month wrapped up in mortage and car payments.
- I have $100,000 in liquid assets available for funding
- I can't look myself in the mirror.
- I have 1/3 of a college degree
- I seriously can't look myself in the mirror.
Goals
- Become a corporate pilot or work for a NetJets-type company
- It's too early to determine whether I want to pursue a career with a major airline, but I certainly do not want to shut the door on it. Once my children are older, it's highly likely that this will be the next "dream".
Now you have the critical details constraining- and contributing to my situation. Like everyone else and their mother, "I've always wanted to be a pilot". As tired as the statement is, it couldn't be more true... and losing 8 years of my life working toward something other than my dream has severely impacted my ability to be a good father, a good husband, and to be happy.
That said, I am ready - right here and now - to take the first steps toward becoming a pilot. In fact, I've already taken first steps. What I'm unsure of, however, is whether or not the path I'm headed toward is the best path given my circumstances. First of all, it's absolutely critical TO ME that I get my degree. This is not just because it opens career doors more easily, but because it's something I started over 10 years ago and quit (burnout).
I've contacted my college (Ohio State University) and had my student status reactivated (quite easy to do, surprisingly). At this point in time, I intend to pursue a B.S. in Aircraft Systems, which is essentially a flight training program with some very interesting coursework. I'll need to scale back my work (25 - 30 hours/wk) to accommodate classes and flight training. I'm hoping I can secure enough work so I don't need to dip into my savings, but it's there as a safety net if I need it. I'd prefer to leave it in tact for when I get my commercial license and accept a full time piloting job for 32 cents an hour. I'll need it to "weather the storm" while I accumulate the necessary experience to realize my goals and ultimately get my transport license.
With all that being said (sorry), here's the $25,000 question: should I continue down the path I'm on and pursue my training through college work (essentially killing two birds with one stone), OR do everything I can to accelerate my flight training as quickly as possible and pursue a degree on the side (or afterwards). I want to be a pilot YESTERDAY, but I need to make the best long-term decision. One concern I have is that when I graduate, I'll only have about 300 - 350 TT, and it's very difficult to say how much of that will be multi. The program includes ground school, PPL, IR, CPL, and some multi... but what do I do with 350 hours? I'm estimating that it will take 2 - 2.5 years to complete the program from where I'm at now. In Ohio, I have weather to contend with, and December and January are probably shot right from the start. So I lose two months of flying time a year no matter what I do.
Should I be less focused on the degree in the short term, and emphasize flight training as much as humanly (and financially) possible? One thing I've considered doing is augmenting my college flight training with additional training at another local airport (Delaware, Ohio) so I can accummulate more hours faster, but I'm not sure if either program will take issue with that approach. I can only schedule 2 hours per day, 5 days per week at Ohio State. Theoretically, I could also train at Delaware on the weekends 4 hours/day (or more).
Another option is to leave school out of the picture entirely, and eat/live/breathe the Delaware program until I'm finished, then take that training to Ohio State for college credit. I would be able to get a job as an instructor and I could put myself through school while I accumulate hours.
There are so many options that I've pretty much lost any ability to analyze the situation, so any help any of you have to offer is more than appreciated. Feel free to get creative. The only restrictions are that I have to be able to work 25 hours per week for the majority of the year, and I can't leave home for more than a month or two in any given year.
I'd be lying if I didn't say that THIS PROGRAM has crossed my mind as a great way to spend the summer...
Essential Data
- I'm 29 years old, married, with a 4 year old son and 3 year old daughter
- I'm a software consultant making close to a six-figure salary. Not only am I ready to walk away from it, I CAN'T WAIT TO.
- I have $2100 per month wrapped up in mortage and car payments.
- I have $100,000 in liquid assets available for funding
- I can't look myself in the mirror.
- I have 1/3 of a college degree
- I seriously can't look myself in the mirror.
Goals
- Become a corporate pilot or work for a NetJets-type company
- It's too early to determine whether I want to pursue a career with a major airline, but I certainly do not want to shut the door on it. Once my children are older, it's highly likely that this will be the next "dream".
Now you have the critical details constraining- and contributing to my situation. Like everyone else and their mother, "I've always wanted to be a pilot". As tired as the statement is, it couldn't be more true... and losing 8 years of my life working toward something other than my dream has severely impacted my ability to be a good father, a good husband, and to be happy.
That said, I am ready - right here and now - to take the first steps toward becoming a pilot. In fact, I've already taken first steps. What I'm unsure of, however, is whether or not the path I'm headed toward is the best path given my circumstances. First of all, it's absolutely critical TO ME that I get my degree. This is not just because it opens career doors more easily, but because it's something I started over 10 years ago and quit (burnout).
I've contacted my college (Ohio State University) and had my student status reactivated (quite easy to do, surprisingly). At this point in time, I intend to pursue a B.S. in Aircraft Systems, which is essentially a flight training program with some very interesting coursework. I'll need to scale back my work (25 - 30 hours/wk) to accommodate classes and flight training. I'm hoping I can secure enough work so I don't need to dip into my savings, but it's there as a safety net if I need it. I'd prefer to leave it in tact for when I get my commercial license and accept a full time piloting job for 32 cents an hour. I'll need it to "weather the storm" while I accumulate the necessary experience to realize my goals and ultimately get my transport license.
With all that being said (sorry), here's the $25,000 question: should I continue down the path I'm on and pursue my training through college work (essentially killing two birds with one stone), OR do everything I can to accelerate my flight training as quickly as possible and pursue a degree on the side (or afterwards). I want to be a pilot YESTERDAY, but I need to make the best long-term decision. One concern I have is that when I graduate, I'll only have about 300 - 350 TT, and it's very difficult to say how much of that will be multi. The program includes ground school, PPL, IR, CPL, and some multi... but what do I do with 350 hours? I'm estimating that it will take 2 - 2.5 years to complete the program from where I'm at now. In Ohio, I have weather to contend with, and December and January are probably shot right from the start. So I lose two months of flying time a year no matter what I do.
Should I be less focused on the degree in the short term, and emphasize flight training as much as humanly (and financially) possible? One thing I've considered doing is augmenting my college flight training with additional training at another local airport (Delaware, Ohio) so I can accummulate more hours faster, but I'm not sure if either program will take issue with that approach. I can only schedule 2 hours per day, 5 days per week at Ohio State. Theoretically, I could also train at Delaware on the weekends 4 hours/day (or more).
Another option is to leave school out of the picture entirely, and eat/live/breathe the Delaware program until I'm finished, then take that training to Ohio State for college credit. I would be able to get a job as an instructor and I could put myself through school while I accumulate hours.
There are so many options that I've pretty much lost any ability to analyze the situation, so any help any of you have to offer is more than appreciated. Feel free to get creative. The only restrictions are that I have to be able to work 25 hours per week for the majority of the year, and I can't leave home for more than a month or two in any given year.
I'd be lying if I didn't say that THIS PROGRAM has crossed my mind as a great way to spend the summer...
*sigh oh well nobody said it would be easy heh
. My situation about the college is prety much like yours. I went to school for 5 semesters and had to quit for $$ reasons...back then I had 2 choices...quit school to work and have money to eat or going to school hungry. This not drama it was for real. 
