Hello,
I am 15 years old and have a great passion for flying. I’ve flown as PIC for aircraft such as a 172, 182, and a Super Decathlon. My ultimate goal is the airlines and recently I’ve been looking at different options on how to get there and I came across ATP and am really interested in the accelerated program. I understand that it it is required to have a BAS for the majors but not the regionals. I went to get up in the air as soon as possible with ATP and was wondering when the best time to get a degree would be. If I went the online route, I could transfer my credits gained from ATP and get a BAS in only 2.5 years and pretty cheap. I could fit online school into my schedule while being a CFI or while working as a regional pilot. Any suggestions?
First I need to clarify something. In aviation the terms we use count and more important the titles we have we earn. You’re 15 and have no pilots license. While it’s fantastic you’ve gotten some actual flight time, you’ve never been the PIC, that will come in time (unless you’re talking about MSFS or X-Plane in which case I’m going to start twitching).
As for the best route that’s entirely up to you and your parents but as a rule we recommend people complete their education’s first. It’s far easier to complete school when you’re young and in “school mode” and it’s also a great idea to have a Plan B should aviation not work out.
That said again the choice is yours. If efficiency is your goal then going the 2yr-ATP-Regional-Online-Major is probably best. Just know that finishing your degree online can be very challenging.
Ditto on Adam’s point about PIC. But don’t feel badly, it takes time to learn proper terminology.
I also recommend the college first approach, then flight training for the same reasons. If you really want to get flying first though, you will need either two years of college, or a private license to qualify for ATP.
I know you want to get flying, but slow and steady wins the race. Check out the FAQ section, there is a lot there that will pertain to you.