Hi
My name is Hamza and I am 21 years old. Which would be a better option to become a pilot, enroll into a university that offers flight training and bachelors in Flight Officer Specialization or get into ATP flight school? Also I am almost done with my associates, so what would be best for me?
Thank you
Hamza,
First I recommend you visit our FAQ section as we address this and many other common questions. If you look up and to the left you’ll clearly see the ATP logo as this is their forum. While none of us are salesmen we are all successful grads who are now airline pilots which makes us pretty partial to the program. That aside aviation universities are typically very expensive, take far too long and earn you an aviation degree that really doesn’t give you much of a backup plan.
I again recommend you do some searching on this forum as this is a popular topic and decide for yourself.
Adam
Thanks a lot Sir. I appreciate your help.
Hamza,
Should you rent or buy a home? Should you finance or lease a car? Should you invest or save?
These are all life decisions that you have to make for yourself. I suggest you do some research about flight schools and aviation universities and decide which one is best for you based on your unique situation.
Can you secure financing? Or do you have enough cash to fund all of your training? Would you prefer to apply for student loans? How much time can you commit to flight training? Can you pause your life for 9 months? Or do you have to hold a job?
Tory
Hamza,
I am not a fan of aviation universities. I find them to be incredibly expensive relative to what they offer and do not provide the student with any sort of backup plan. I always recommend getting a non aviation degree and then completing your flight training at a school that offers accelerated flight training.
Check out the FAQ section as this is addressed in depth there.
Chris
Hi Tory,
So financial aid is covering my whole tuition for community college and it will be same for the aviation university but there will be some extra costs which financial aid wont cover. According to the universities home page, some students didn’t pay anything because financial aid covered everything. But the thing is that I will graduate only with 350 flying hours according to university. So the good thing is that I will get a bachelors degree which is the requirement for major airlines and certificates. But the con is that after two years I will have to work as a flight instructor reach 1500 for regionals.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for the advice. Actually aviation university will take 2 years and I will only have 350 flying hours because thats what they said. ATP is a good start but the loan will take 7-10 years to get paid off. On the other hand most of the tuition will be covered by financial aid and some extra costs will be covered too if I will be eligible for it. Also I will have a bachelors degree which is the requirement for major airlines. But again I will only have 350 flying hours after 2 years. I think Aviation University is a very long process compared to ATP. What I am thinking is that I have 3 quarters left and I will be done with my associates degree. After that I will attend one year at university to complete my junior year and I will be 23 at that time. Once I am done with junior year, I can join ATP, get my license and start flying at a regional after 2 years at the age of 25. Then I can complete my 3-4 quarters at university online while taking part time classes.
Hamza,
I agree. Financial aid is a nice pro. The length of time it takes to finish Aviation College is the con. The other con is the degree being in Aviation. Though it fits the degree requirement for the majors, it’s not the best thing to have in case you need a back up. But it gets the job done and I understand that some people prefer to take advantage of the financial aid. So, clearly attending an accelerated flight school will be faster, but you need to think about what is best for your situation. At 21 you’ll be 25 by the time you’re eligible for a regional. That’s not bad. I was 28 when I was hired at Horizon.
Tory
Finishing your degree online is a good compromise.
Thank you Tory I really appreciate your help. I am still thinking which would be the best option for me as you said which suits me. I think ATP is a better option than aviation university. Thanks again.
As you mentioned you were hired at horizon, the aviation university has an agreement with horizon air and express jet.
ATP has an agreement too, will all of the regionals: https://atpflightschool.com/land/tuition-reimbursement.html
Yes I saw that. They have more options. So is it guaranteed I will get a job at a regional after completing 1500 flying hours at ATP ? And I live in Seattle, so can I request the airline to give me Seattle base once I’m hired?
Nothing is guaranteed, Hamza. You have to pass the interview to receive tuition reimbursement, pass new hire training, pass all check rides, and fulfill the tuition reimbursement contract. Failing any of those things could cost you the job and the reimbursement.
Tory
Got it. Thank you very much for all the information.
Hamza,
Just to chime in, as Tory said there are no guarantees. Further you’ll need to build your 1500hrs which may or may not be with ATP.
As for bases first you obviously need to apply and be hired by an airline that has a SEA base. If they do its it’s a question of if they have open slots there and your seniority.
Adam
Thank you Adam. You are right, I should check which airline has a base in Seattle and make a decision.