Another seeking advice thread :)

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

Good Morning Everyone,

I want to start by apologizing if this post gets a bit long-winded, and I might ask a lot of questions. I’ve been doing a ton of research lately on how to become a pilot and eventually work for the airlines.

As I’m sitting here in my study hall classroom writing this (LOL), I’ll tell you a bit about myself. I’m 16 years old and currently a high school junior. I’ll be turning 17 in January. This year, I’m taking three AP classes and three college courses, and I currently have a 104.29 GPA, placing me somewhere in the top 15 of my class. If everything goes as planned, I hope to graduate with around 17 college credits, which should help me finish college in about three years. I understand the workload of both school and flight training will be challenging, but I’m confident I can manage it.

Right now, I’m training at a Part 61 flight school on Long Island, NY, and as of this post, I have 5.1 hours of flight training. I also have my first-class medical appointment scheduled for December 2nd—fingers crossed everything goes well! :blush:

Although this is an ATP forum, I hope to get advice on how to pursue my dream of becoming a professional pilot. My dad and I have come up with a plan: I’ll continue my flight training from now until I start college. By flying 2–3 times a week, I aim to achieve my CFI rating by the time I start college in September 2026. Once I’m in college, I plan to work as a CFI while attending classes. Conveniently, the college I plan to attend is only about five minutes away from the airport where I’m currently training and hope to continue on working as a CFI.

I know many people suggest waiting until after college to start flight training, but since I’m certain this is the career path I want, I feel it makes sense to begin now.

Now, here’s where I’d love some advice:

  1. Does my plan seem like a good path, or would it be better to get my Private Pilot License (PPL) and wait to start at ATP?
  2. I’ve read posts about ATP not accepting students at 18 years old, though I know there can be exceptions. Is that something I should consider?
  3. Is it better to work as a CFI until I reach 1,500 hours, or should I consider opportunities like flying for Cape Air or similar operators once I qualify?

My ultimate goal is to get hired by a regional airline as quickly as possible, ideally with a home base in New York. I live about 45–60 minutes from JFK and LGA and don’t plan to relocate. Eventually, I hope to fly for one of the major carriers like United, Delta, or American Airlines. I’ve read about various pathways to the majors in forums and posts, but I’m unsure if those options apply to me since I don’t plan to pursue an aviation degree in college.

I apologize for the long post (I need to wrap up before my next class—LOL), but I’d truly appreciate any advice or feedback on whether I’m heading in the right direction.

Thank you all so much!

2

Mason,

  1. You’re plan looks good on paper, the biggest question to me is can you get your CFI by the time you start college? I’m from NY and the weather doesn’t often cooperate. Further your local flight school doesn’t always have the resources (airplanes and instructors) to accommodate you training that often. My concern is you’ll only get partially to your goal.

  2. There are exceptions but we don’t recommend ATP before college. You want to keep your skills sharp, not complete your training and then only fly part time.

  3. There are many ways to build time. The most important thing to keep in mind is it’s not just the quantity, but the quality of the hours that counts.

Adam

3

Mason,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for the detailed introduction. Let’s get to your questions.

  1. I see issues with being a part time CFI. Students want an instructor that has good availability. They are paying a lot of money and want to train when works for them. I personally would not sign up with a part time CFI who has other commitments. I would get your PPL now, then hold of on further flight training until you graduate college. I know that you want to get up into the sky, but it is not a race and you need to figure out the path that is best overall.

  2. ATP does make exceptions, it is certainly worth calling their admissions department and asking.

  3. Either of those job opportunities would be great and you would learn a lot.

You absolutely do NOT need an aviation degree, in fact, we highly recommend against getting one. It is better to get a degree in something else that interests you, that way you have a backup. The vast majority of pilots that I know have degrees in things other than aviation.

Chris

4

I’m also considering two options for college: attending the college near the airport where I train or pursuing a fully online bachelor’s degree. Opting for the online program might allow me to work full-time as a CFI while completing my studies, which is something I’m seriously considering.

5

The flight school I attend currently has seven CFIs, and my instructor doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon, so I may have the same CFI throughout my entire training. I could technically schedule lessons with him every day of the week if I wanted. However, with the days getting shorter, I understand the need to fly on weekends and at least one weekday between 3–5 p.m. to make the most of the daylight. That said, to avoid feeling overwhelmed or burnt out, I plan to limit my training to 2–3 times per week.

As for reaching my goal before starting college, I’m considering two options: attending college fully online or going to a college near the airport where I train. Pursuing an online degree would give me the flexibility to work as a full-time CFI, which could help me progress more quickly toward my ultimate goal.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it very much.

6

Mason,

Let’s just address the first part of your response, “my instructor doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon, so I may have the same CFI throughout my entire training”. You’re planning on finishing by Sept 2026, that’s 22mos from now. You’re instructor has at least 250hrs at a bare minimum. Do you not believe he’ll get to 1500hrs in that time? Do you think you’re the only one looking to get to the airlines asap and looking at other routes to build time?

Im not trying to challenge you and if you’re instructor moves on I’m sure you’ll find another. My point is your plans might not align as well you you might think with others. I’m not telling you this to push you to ATP or any other route, I’m simply saying MANY aspiring pilots choose to train locally and are promised “of course you can fly as much as you want” only to find it just doesn’t work.

Adam

7

Mason,

I appreciate the enthusiasm and willingness to work hard. However, I think you’re trying to take on way too much. The fact that you have so many college credits already is great. I’d focus first on completing your PPL then holding off on the rest of flight training. It’s great you’ll finish in 3 years (or maybe less if you take on summer school courses). Then start ATP with credit private. In the big picture you could be have a bachelors degree and all your ratings in 4 years.

The problem with trying to do it all at once is that something will inevitably get dropped. Your grades will start to slip or you’ll show up for a flight unprepared or worse, make a dangerous decision in the air while you’re fatigued and overwhelmed.

Seniority is important but don’t lose sight on the fact that you’re building the foundation of your aviation skills that you will carry with you for the rest of your career. Don’t rush that.

Hannah

8

Mason,

I’m a few days late to the party, my apologies. I appreciate the early enthusiasm and proactively trying to come up with a gameplan because that is ultimately what drives individuals to accomplish their goals. What Adam and Chris have pointed out is something that I see is an issue and that is:

  1. While it’s desirable to be doing classwork, online, at the same time as a full-time Certified Flight Instructor, it will take a of energy and time management. The last thing you want is to bomb a research paper because you were prioritize in getting your student ready for a checkride that would also go on the pilot’s record. It’s a loss-loss here; do you sacrifice your own GPA or your students success as a pilot? I hope your answer to that is, I don’t like that idea afterall. I have seen instructors do part-time classes (2 at most) and work on their degree that way.

  2. You have a mindset that this instructor is going to stay instructing when you graduate high school and complete all your certificate/ratings. I just want to point out that you may get your Private Pilot License at age 17, you can solo now, at 16, but will only become an applicant for the PPL at 17. Furthermore, the instrument rating can be added at any time. Flying 2-3 times a week, at 2 hour blocks, equals to 208 hours a year if you flew 2 times a week. This is not enough to remain proficient and building upon the previous learned foundation. To be an applicant for the Commerical Pilot License, you MUST be 18 years old. That’s a long time to fly GA part-time and inconsistently. There’s a reason airlines and ATP trains around consistency.

I truly think the PPL now is an okay idea; however, you want to set a foundation that will lead you to success and not obtain bad habits. IF you desire to do any flying at ATP, understand there are 3 entry programs (at this current date, 11/23/24): Zero Time, Credit Solo, Credit Private. IF you get to your instrument ticket and decide you want to attend ATP, it will hurt you. Get the PPL, finish the college degree, and enter Credit Private.

Right now, focus on getting good grades in high school, attend college, then tackle flight school. Given today is 2024, 2026 is when you’d graduate high school, Boeing predicts there to be hundreds of thousands of jobs available by 2030… I don’t foresee these slots getting picked up anytime soon. There will always be a flying job out there, it is up to you to secure that position through having a great track record, networking and solid GPA.

Brady