Extremely Tough Decision Because I Want to Become A Major Airline Pilot. Whats your op pinion?

I was you in 2000...Now I am a First Officer for a regional airline...have been for 4 years now. I went with the college route and loved it. I went to Florida Tech (F.I.T.) and majored in Aviaiton Management...great school. The problem with the Air Force is that as a pilot you will have to be an officer...which means that you will have to go to college anyway...and then there is a committment of 7 or 8 years to be a pilot...so you will not fly commercially until you are 30 at the earliest. I'd go the college route and join the Air National Guard if you want to go fly a fighter on the weekends. A lot of folks will tell you not to major in aviation...they have a point. This industry SUCKS!!! The pay is crap for many years...the job is unstable...if you get furloughed or if your airline goes out of business, you g back to starting pay at some other airline...expect to be on food stamps for your first few years...expect to never be home, miss holidays, and have a life where you can't plan anything because you will be out of town...If that doesn't scare you...you are either crazy or haven't thought enough about it. If you give it a good thinking and still want to do it you will love it. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, but it is not the glamourous wonderful, high paying job you see in the movies!!!

You are a very fortunate person to have an appointment to the AFA under your wing. Go there, graduate into pilot training and lear to fly. If, after completing your obligation to Uncle Sam (Yeah, He wants some of your time after that wonderful "free" education) then check out what the commercial airlines have to offer.

Your path to your goal should be determined by what fits you best. If you are willing to give your life to the military and 4 or more years of your life, then go that route. If you go the civilian route, then consider not putting all your eggs in one basket. What I mean is, if you get a BA or BS degree, I think it's wise to get a degree in non-aviation related field. That way, you can market yourself for a career in something other than aviation and have a different skill. It's true there is much to know in aviation, but it's not rocket science. You can have a degree in business for example, and still go to a flight school that will give you all the skills you need to achieve your goal of flying for a living. Airlines hire pilots from both sectors (civilian and military). Today it's about experience, bottom line. The only difference I see is going civilian may force you take a few flying jobs that are less than desirable to get to your goal. We all have to do our time. Unless affirmative action comes back in full force. God help us, in this case.

I cant answer your main ? but i have some things that maybe can contribute to your overall decision. Im a flight engineer on the C-5 in the AF. I know LOTS of reserve pilots that also hold jobs as commercial airline pilots, some with Delta but most are with SW. Most of these guys went to college over the AFA. In fact id say overall in the air force there are more officers that got comissioned through reg college than through the AFA. I also know a few enlisted guys that have gotten out and tried getting commercial pilot jobs by doing the Delta school, Emmbry-Riddle, and are now flight engineers in the reserves....my point is they aren't doing a whole lot of hiring in the commercial pilot world. hope this helps a bit....good luck!

I hear it all the time when I mention that I want to fly airplanes for a living, "why don't you join the air force?" The plain truth is YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO BE A PILOT. There are only so many slots available for the flight school. You have to be able to pass an interview to see if you are air force pilot material. And, as one person who actually did these interviews stated, "you are always one week from washing out." Then there are the medical requirements. Very strict, and you need to be in very good shape, and not just physically. I'd recommend looking up the medical requirements before you commit to the military. I was able to pass my class 1 medical (required for civilian airline pilots), but I would never be able to pass the medical for military flight. So if you choose the air force route, be prepared to be something other then a pilot. As for the college route, while it may be more expensive, look for colleges that focus on the aviation industry. The best one that I have heard about is Embry Riddle. It is very expensive (can cost almost $150,000 total) but is one of the best, and most well known, and can get the attention of the airlines. Keep in mind that it is not a guarantee. And it is a lot of money, so if money is a concern then you can look for schools that have flying programs. I'd recomend subscribing to various flying magazines. They are filled with ads for flight schools and universities with flight programs. That should at least help with the college search. On a side note, I did know someone who went to Embry Riddle. He was about $100,000 to $150,000 in debt. After about eight years in the flying industry, while being married and having a kid or two, he was debt free. So be sure to look for sucess records of past students in the school you are researching. What airlines they work for, how many hours they had, what certifications, ect...

If you are really serious about becoming a commercial pilot Embry-Riddle is a good place to start. I believe they have courses that nclude multi-engine certification. If you go the afa route you will get an excellent education. After graduation you will still need to go to flight school to become a pilot. Then there are years in the cockpit getting your flight time in. By the time you become a seasoned pilot you might as well stay in for your twnty and retire. Then if you still want commercial aviation you will have an impressive resume when you apply.

Don't listen to half of the bs you hear on this page. The people talking about the AF may or may not be right I do not know since I was never in the Air Force. I don't think you can possibly go wrong taking that career path. If this interests you take your dad/uncle/relative that was in the AF and set up a meeting with a recruiter and see what they have to say. Don't sign anything while you are there (think it over first) and weigh your options. As far as the civilian side of things goes you have many different options. Like one other person said the market is not doing very well at the moment and has lost much of it's appeal (read money). If you are set on the airlines a school like UND, Embry Riddle, or Carbondale in Illinois will get you the knowledge and flight time you need to be an airline pilot. Set up visits with these schools and tour the facilities. They vary in cost greatly. There are many other 4 year schools that will get you through with a comparable education for a fraction of the cost, but the cheaper schools do not have the bridge programs to regional airlines like the major schools (ie UND) do. This means that they will take x amount of students per semester to be first officers at the regional airlines. Very easy way to get into the industry. Other schools you have to find your way in on your own. I would say that half of the people that I started with at UND my first year never became commercial pilots - either their life plans changed or the cost was too high or they found a different path to take. Either way do your RESEARCH and make the most informed decision that you can. Go get a job at the nearest airport. You will meet tons of people and learn about all the different aspects of the aviation industry.

I would go the AFA route. If you want to fly jets as soon as possible, that's your best bet. Not to mention the government helps pick up the tab. And to clarify, military branches do plenty of socializing, it's practically required. Captain Sullenberger's memoir (something I strongly recommend you read) talks about his experience there and how at the end of it, they were this tightly knit group of close friends. And he talks about flying jets, too.

Well, there are no shortage of opinions, so I will add mine. Go the military route, whether it be the AFA or college ROTC (I'd even join your high school JROTC unit because you MIGHT be able to pick up a college ROTC scholarship, although you don't have to be in JROTC to do that). The benefit to the military route is that they provide you "on-the-job training" for the commercial industry AND pay you well for it AND it is great experience. The #1 graduate in my UPT class chose a C-141 when all the rave then was fighters--he knew exactly what his goals were and how to best get there. Six years later after his USAF commitment, he got his airline job. As Rob said in his answer, the pay is crap in the commuter world, and it will be crap for a long time to come. Pick another career and just enjoy private flying before you put yourself and a family through that. I see the commuter pilots all the time. They have no quality of life and get paid a bean for it. It is true that AFA or ROTC does not guarantee you a pilot training slot, but that is something you have little control over other than your grades. As to the airline captain who says the military guys have no better advantage, I disagree. You can't get that important seniority number he talks about WITHOUT first being and that is BASED on where you came from and your experience there. So, let's see--I have to pick a guy who has been working as a commuter, flying little 2 engine regional jets domestically OR a seasoned military guy/gal flying large 4 engine aircraft worldwide during contingency operations. That's a no-brainer. You won't get the experience any better, more enjoyable, or better paid than flying military multiengine jets, through either the active, guard or reserve, period!