Prospective Pilot - Need a Little Help

[MadeInChina262]

Ok, so I'm 18 years old, graduating high school in a few months and I've been thinking about becoming a pilot for a while now. I've always been extremely fascinated with flying, to this day I can't get onto a big jet liner to go visit relatives without gazing into the cockpit and wondering what it would be like to take the controls and fly. I've been doing some research lately about finally taking the first steps toward becoming a pilot so I've been looking into getting my Private Pilots License. I've been looking at some different local flight schools, (I live in beautiful San Diego) and I've found that for my VFR qualification it should be around $5,000 or $8,000 depending on the school and the total amount of hours I need to put in. My first question is regarding either Part 141 or Part 61 schools. Which do you think is a better choice? Part 61 seems to offer a the possibility of a more flexible schedule but I have also read that more intensive courses with more strict schedules offer a better learning experience with the possibility of higher knowledge retention rates. Also do you think it's better to find a longer part time course over a period of four to six months or go with the three to four week crash course. I have also looked at the possibility of a serious professional flight school like Airline Transport Professionals, while they are far more expensive it offers certification on Single, Multi, and Instrument for Private, Commercial, and as a Certified Flight Instructor. This track does seem to have the advantage of giving a better possibility of a carrer after graduation but it's a large commitment for someone who has no experience in the field. Are schools like this worth it in the end, or is it better to get certifications seperately at your own pace? I'm also a little weary about the possibility of starting one of these programs and then realizing that flying really isn't for me, so would it be better to get my PPL and then see if I want to enrole in a more serious school?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions and some of these are ultimately really up to me and depend on what kind of learner and person I am but I'm just trying to get some feedback from people that have experience in the field before I make a decision. Any feedback or advice you can give will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

-Alec

 

[BoeingBoy]

The first thing to consider is whether being a pilot is really what you want to do. Viewing the experience of getting on that big jet on that airliner as being typical of a pilot's career is like viewing the lifestyle of a big Hollywood star as typical of an acting career. Both usually involve years of low pay and hard work to get to the "glamorous" point of the profession and many never make it to the top. So it might be worth taking a few flying lessons and some introspection to see if aviation is really for you. After all, you'll be spending something like $50,000 or more to get to the point of having a shot at a $20,000 per year job. The big payoff, unless you're extremely lucky or know someone in the right position, will come years down the road if it comes at all.

If you still want to make it a career, there's the two paths you've already mentioned - part 61 and 141. Part 61 allows spreading out the expense and allowing time for a full time job to pay the bills while you're getting your licenses and ratings, but consequently takes longer for you to get to the point of working as a pilot. Part 141 may compress the expense into a shorter time frame with maybe a part-time job possible, but may get you to the point you can hopefully find a flying job quicker.

Part 141 also comes in a variety of flavors, from the "pilot mills" that will get you the licenses/ratings in a minimum amount of time at one end of the spectrum to the colleges/universities that offer degree programs based on aviation at the other. The college/university route takes longer and typically costs more since you get the degree in addition to the licenses/ratings. Because there are usually hundreds/thousands of applicants for each "top tier" airline pilot opening a degree can make the difference between getting that "top tier" job or not once you get the other qualifications, although the degree doesn't need to be aviation related - it's just a way to weed out some of the applications.

In short, try flying first - you may decide it's not for you. If you decide to continue you need to decide which route to follow for getting your licenses/ratings, keeping in mind that it will probably be many years before you ever make as much per year as you spent for those licenses/ratings.

Jim

 

[EastUS]

Ok, so I'm 18 years old, graduating high school in a few months and I've been thinking about becoming a pilot for a while now.

Alec:

BoeingBoy covered it well. The only observation I'd add is that both the finest flight training and the best actual flying is found within the military. If you find that you've a true taste for flight, I'd strongly suggest looking into an Air National Guard or Reserve squadron as well. Quite frankly; flying an airliner around at a maximum of 30 degrees of bank's about as truly exciting as watching gray paint slowly dry on a wet and foggy day...and the benefits of a career in commercial aviation aren't what they used to be.

I feel you're on the right track initially. Just get your feet wet with a PPL and then see what your feelings are from that point.

Best wishes and fly safe!

 

[GatorGuy]

I personally went to a 141 school for my private rating. I was intending to make it all the way through to CFII and MEI. The 141 allowed me to get my rating in short time but had it's drawbacks. The main one I saw was that you are following a set schedule on lessons. This allowed for the quick time frame but made for some very repetitive lessons. We would spend several days on what seemed like the same thing. Looking back, it really wasn't but seemed like it.

Overall, I would do it all over again.