I’m currently a junior in high school with a new-found passion for aviation. I’ve had the desire to become a pilot for a while now and would like to inquire/ get advice from professionals. With my graduation year approaching soon (2021), I would like to know my options. Option 1 would be to go to Kent State University and/or other universities offering an aeronautics/flight school major and get a bachelor’s degree. My other option would be to go to a community college and work on my associates, then go to a flight school, make it to the regionals, and finish the rest of my degree before I decide to go to a major airline. Would this work? Can you give me insight/ tweaks to my choices or offer a better choice?
This question gets asked daily and I suggest you visit our FAQ section and do some searching for more detailed answers.
Short answer is we generally don’t recommend aviation degrees as theyre often very expensive and don’t offer many options if you’re not successful or change your mind about flying.
The second option using community college and getting an online degree after is very efficient both in time and cost. However the caveat is finishing your degree while you’re working as a pilot requires a considerable amount of discipline and can be a challenge. If your up to it I like a plan B.
I like your second option much better and feel that it is generally the fastest path to the airlines. As Adam mentioned, this is covered in the FAQs, but It think you are certainly on the right path with this option.