What path to take...

Spike511

Spike511

Well-Known Member
Hey Guys, got a sec?

I'm starting to approach the final quarter of my junior year, and with that, theres numerous trips to the guidance office. Of course, the first question is "What do you want to major in?" followed by "Where do you plan on attending college" and then the big one, "What do you want to do in life?"

If you've read my post in the medical thread...I mentioned I may be DQ'd in joining the army. This is not confirmed, as I may be able to get a waiver (I know somebody that got in to West Point with Asthma he had until he was 14-15, without a waiver :eek:)...but theres a chance I wont make it.

So, I've been evaluating what I want to do in life. During my elementary and middle school years I wanted to be a cop. From the end of eight grade until up to this June, I wanted to be a pilot. From June-a week ago, I wanted to be a cop/swat/fed 1811 again. See where this is going? I'm going back and forth between the two.

Then I wondered, is there any way I could combine them? I know I could fly traffic in a 182 or fly helo's for State Troopers and such, but is there any way I could fly for the government or something in something, larger? Like twin-engines, jets, etc?

Eventually I'd like to be an airline pilot, however I thought maybe I could do something else first, to make myself look better..and so I dont have the same job my whole life.

I've already decided on a non-aviation degree, to save money and in-case im furloughed. I think i'm going for a national security-esque degree...so I can work in intelligence should I not be able to fly anymore.

Now, I know theres not super uber leet tactical pilot commandos, but is there some way I could get a good mix of the tactical side of life and the pilot side? At least for the first while of my adult-hood? Not counting military pilots, as if I'm disqualified from the army...that wont help much.

Thank you for your time,
Eric
 
You lost me half way through (or maybe I just gave up...watching the Olympics...no offense) but the only advise I can give you is to do whatever is in your heart. I don't think it's anyone's position to tell you what career path you should take, but the worst thing you can do is to go into college uncommitted. I've seen too many people waste money (esp. in aviation schools) and years in college because they don't quite "know what they wanna be when they grow up". If you need to take time off in-between to think it out...go for it. Its the biggest investment in your future so make sure you get it right!

Good luck!
 
Get a full time job. If you want, start a part time two year program at a community college... doesn't matter in what. When you're done with that, you can transfer to a state school to finish the four years on a CJ degree or something with a law enforcement theme. Meanwhile, you've been working, living within your means, and saving some money. Get your flight training at an FBO, out of pocket as much as possible. Get a library card, read every flight training book they have for free. Eventually, get a CFI, and go from there.

I'm almost 23, on my third university, and won't graduate until I'm 26 or so. My only regret was going to a full time private college at 18 because "daddy said so." Basically... relax. Keep yourself out of financial trouble and don't make babies, you'll figure it out in time.
 
Hi Eric. I think the best thing you could do is get a four year degree in criminal justice. I say that cause if you want to be an airline pilot, you'd be better off with a bachelors degree. Also, at some point in the process you might come to the conclusion that flying either needs to wait or needs to be a secodary concern. If that's the case, a degree in something that will get you into law enforcement would be a good backup until the time seems ripe to jump into aviation. Or, maybe you can find a way to combine the two.

Best wishes.
 
Thaks for the replys.

As for the CJ degree, I've been straying away from that because 1) All the cops I've talked to including chief of police, who happens to apparently be my neighboor, says its not needed. Its sort of like a degree in aviation, if you want to put it that way. 2) If I happen to be DQ'd for the same reasons I may be DQ'd from the army, or I get hit by a drunk driver and am severely injured, or any other multitude of things, and would not be able to be a cop, I would have a useless degree.

In the end, I know I want to make aviation a career...I was just seeing if there was a way I could combine the two.

Thanks for the help,
Eric
 
While a degree may not be requires it will put you ahead of those that don't. You can either what if your decisions to death or make one and live your life. Most aviation related fly jobs require you to be a street cop for x years first.
 
A pilot I know became a CFI and then became certified as a police officer and joined the force. He has to be an patrol officer for 3 years, I believe before they'll consider him applying for flight duty.
He still gets a few hours in every month, but he's a very persistent individual. If I were a betting man, I'd say despite the heavy competition, he will persevere and reach his goal.
 
I wonder, is it possible to go to college and then take like, a year off half way through? IE: Go to college, get my commerical ratings, go fly bush in Africa for a year, come back and finish school...

--
Eric
 
Spike511 said:
I wonder, is it possible to go to college and then take like, a year off half way through? IE: Go to college, get my commerical ratings, go fly bush in Africa for a year, come back and finish school...

--
Eric
Click to expand...

number one, its been my experience that most people who "take a break" from college rarely go back.

Number B, ive got over 2500 hours and I would love to find a bush job in africa, but these things are hard to come by. Bush isnt something you really start out doing any more. I think most places like to see their planes come back in one piece now days.
 
cmill said:
number one, its been my experience that most people who "take a break" from college rarely go back.

Number B, ive got over 2500 hours and I would love to find a bush job in africa, but these things are hard to come by. Bush isnt something you really start out doing any more. I think most places like to see their planes come back in one piece now days.
Click to expand...

Good point on part one.

Number two, I just got done reading a few blogs, and they said just show up in africa and go door to door and you'll get lucky within the week. However, I didnt plan on even attempting it until I had at least 1,000 hours, and ratings through MEI-MEII.

I also relized that best case scenario I get to go Army I wouldn't be able to leave anyway...

/Sigh, guess I'll have to wait.

Thanks,
Eric
 
Well, im not trying to discourage you, but i wouldnt really wanna go out to africa, and knock on doors trying to get job. I think I would wanna know somebody first. Beleive it or not, theres a lot of places here in the lower 48 that you can get bush like flying experience at a pretty low time.

I started with the company I work for now as a VFR only pilot with 500 hours. I learned a lot, and there where times i didnt think i could handle it. But, i stuck with it, and proved myself, and my boss gave me a floatplane rating and he's teaching me how to stay alive flying back and forth from oil rigs.

The point is, bush type flying isnt for everyone. I'd try a taste of it before i fully commited to going somewhere like Africa or AK. If it doesnt suite you, instruct, fly traffic watch, and go to the regionals. If you find out that you like it, you would be pleasantly surprised how well you can do flying single engine pistons.

Thats just my .02
 
cmill said:
Well, im not trying to discourage you, but i wouldnt really wanna go out to africa, and knock on doors trying to get job. I think I would wanna know somebody first. Beleive it or not, theres a lot of places here in the lower 48 that you can get bush like flying experience at a pretty low time.

Your not, don't worry. Curious though, what do you mean by lower 48?

I started with the company I work for now as a VFR only pilot with 500 hours. I learned a lot, and there where times i didnt think i could handle it. But, i stuck with it, and proved myself, and my boss gave me a floatplane rating and he's teaching me how to stay alive flying back and forth from oil rigs.

The point is, bush type flying isnt for everyone. I'd try a taste of it before i fully commited to going somewhere like Africa or AK. If it doesnt suite you, instruct, fly traffic watch, and go to the regionals. If you find out that you like it, you would be pleasantly surprised how well you can do flying single engine pistons.

Of course. I didn't plan on just jumping into it, however, you make a really good point. I didn't know there was any sort of bush flying in the states...other than alittle recreational stuff.

Thats just my .02
Click to expand...
 
!.) by lower 48 i mean the flying outside of Alaska/Hawaii. Everyone usually equates bush flying with Alaska.

.2) Theres a lot of flying in the continental US that could be considered bush. Idaho has some bush, as well as nevada, utah, etc. Hell, some people would consider the flying im doing down here in Louisiana "bush." It really comes down to flying in and out of non established or non improved fields with the purpose of completing a mission, and theres plenty of that going on in the US.
 
If you worry about what might happen in any job....you'll spend a lot of time worry about nothing. You can't base your future on what might happen.

Get a degree.... you don't need a CJ degree to be a cop, just like you don't need a aviation degree to be a pilot. Just go to school find out what you like, major in it, and have fun.

If you want a bit of tactical fun, save your pennies and go to Gunsite or some other tactical shooting school. Do some competition combat shooting, its a lot more fun when you've got nobody shooting back at you:D
 
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost
 
matt152 said:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost
Click to expand...

The only problem with that is theres millions of cops and millions of pilots. Maybe I should start my own aviation law enforcement agency. Ya know, pull pilots over who are breaking FARS. :beer:

@Cmill-Thanks for the info. I sorta want to be a bush pilot because I figured it would be a great fuel to my love of travel by living out of a few bags for a year or two overseas.

@BillErvin-I'm not really saying that it wouldn't be fun, the tactical shooting and all, but, well...I wanted to be a cop so I could protect people and make a difference. I want to be a pilot because I love traveling and it would be fun. I've already decided in life that money dosent matter. My dad is an ATC and makes a good amount of money, however, he hates the FAA and therefore hates his job. I've come to a conclusion that as long as I wake up and have a smile on my face for work, money doesent matter. Then I relized if I was a cop, after a few years of seeing "Daddys little girl" hanging from a wire from the celing, watching people die in the arms of paramedics, and having to deal with co-workers who are so depressed you come back to your patrol car to see they've blown their brains out, I would start to dread work every day. Meaningful, yes, fun? No. I'm really struggling to find a good balance between fun and meaningful.

--
Eric
 
Spike511 said:
The only problem with that is theres millions of cops and millions of pilots. Maybe I should start my own aviation law enforcement agency. Ya know, pull pilots over who are breaking FARS. :beer:

--
Eric
Click to expand...

the only problem with that is, there are a lot of regions where the mission depends on pilots taking a "liberal interpretation" of the FARs
 
Spike511 said:
The only problem with that is theres millions of cops and millions of pilots. Maybe I should start my own aviation law enforcement agency. Ya know, pull pilots over who are breaking FARS. :beer:

@Cmill-Thanks for the info. I sorta want to be a bush pilot because I figured it would be a great fuel to my love of travel by living out of a few bags for a year or two overseas.

@BillErvin-I'm not really saying that it wouldn't be fun, the tactical shooting and all, but, well...I wanted to be a cop so I could protect people and make a difference. I want to be a pilot because I love traveling and it would be fun. I've already decided in life that money dosent matter. My dad is an ATC and makes a good amount of money, however, he hates the FAA and therefore hates his job. I've come to a conclusion that as long as I wake up and have a smile on my face for work, money doesent matter. Then I relized if I was a cop, after a few years of seeing "Daddys little girl" hanging from a wire from the celing, watching people die in the arms of paramedics, and having to deal with co-workers who are so depressed you come back to your patrol car to see they've blown their brains out, I would start to dread work every day. Meaningful, yes, fun? No. I'm really struggling to find a good balance between fun and meaningful.

--
Eric
Click to expand...

Come on now, this isn't an interview. You can say it, I wanted to be a cop because it's fun....and it is! *joke*
All kidding aside, I suggest you get your bachelor's degree in anything that interests you. The good thing about becoming a cop for a few years after you earn your degree is that you will always have a job to go back to if you are furloughed. Once you have that experience, it's pretty easy to get on with any agency. I work with a guy that's a airline pilot, that was a cop before that. And when 2001 hit, he was furloughed, and then came back to work as an LEO until he was called back. I've been a cop for 8 years and I'm slowly working on my commercial. At least I've got a good stable job while I work towards becoming a professional pilot. So if I were you, I would earn my 4 year degree while doing some flying on the side. Get on with a good agency and walk the beat for a few years, again while working on flying. Make some good connections while working as a cop (which is easy to do when you are a cop). Hopefully by this time you will possibly be in a good position to get your first flying job. Who knows, maybe your agency will take you on to fly for them, if you're lucky. (though this tends to be extremely political). Hope this helps, and good luck.
 
troopernflight said:
Come on now, this isn't an interview. You can say it, I wanted to be a cop because it's fun....and it is! *joke*
All kidding aside, I suggest you get your bachelor's degree in anything that interests you. The good thing about becoming a cop for a few years after you earn your degree is that you will always have a job to go back to if you are furloughed. Once you have that experience, it's pretty easy to get on with any agency. I work with a guy that's a airline pilot, that was a cop before that. And when 2001 hit, he was furloughed, and then came back to work as an LEO until he was called back. I've been a cop for 8 years and I'm slowly working on my commercial. At least I've got a good stable job while I work towards becoming a professional pilot. So if I were you, I would earn my 4 year degree while doing some flying on the side. Get on with a good agency and walk the beat for a few years, again while working on flying. Make some good connections while working as a cop (which is easy to do when you are a cop). Hopefully by this time you will possibly be in a good position to get your first flying job. Who knows, maybe your agency will take you on to fly for them, if you're lucky. (though this tends to be extremely political). Hope this helps, and good luck.
Click to expand...

Firstly, that wasent filler what I said, it is true. Even if im the .01% that is being serious when they say that, I am.

Secondly, Here's my deal. I'm concerned if I'm dq'd from the army im not going to be able to go LEO...thats why the possibility of actually becoming a LEO eluded me. I didn't think it was a wise career move to go and be a LEO first, I had thought about it...but I guess i'm wrong. My goal was to major in Informational Analysis or Information Security so I could work with the CIA, NSA, etc. as an analyst or ethical hacker should I be furloughed and find myself not being able to be a leo. I'll shoot you a PM.

Thirdly, yes, you helped greatly.

--
Eric
 
BillErvin said:
If you worry about what might happen in any job....you'll spend a lot of time worry about nothing. You can't base your future on what might happen.

Get a degree.... you don't need a CJ degree to be a cop, just like you don't need a aviation degree to be a pilot. Just go to school find out what you like, major in it, and have fun.

If you want a bit of tactical fun, save your pennies and go to Gunsite or some other tactical shooting school. Do some competition combat shooting, its a lot more fun when you've got nobody shooting back at you:D
Click to expand...

Holly cow Gunsite is expensive. It looks like it is worth every penny though. If I had the cash I'd be taking several of their classes.
 
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