Hello, I’m a sophomore in high school who’s always had the passion for flying, I use an academic level flight simulator daily, which has helped a VERY large amount while in the process of building flight time. But I just wanted to know how I can get all of the necessary training done and still get a 4 year bachelor’s degree. Currently, I have 25 hours of flight time at my local flight academy which trains people all the way up to ATPL. I was wondering if; because it is connected to a college, would it be more wise to go there and gather the necessary licences and certificates while going to school? And if I wanted to go with ATP how would that work in conjunction with getting a 4 year degree? Also, my goal is to end up at Envoy where I can then get a chance to go to American, and I hear that they have a cadet program. With the cadet program in mind, how could I attain a 4 year degree and attend the program? Thanks
Sean,
In general we don’t recommend aviation degrees for 2 reasons. First they generally are very expensive and second you’re putting all your eggs in one basket should a pilot career not work out (either by choice or circumstance). That said I’m curious as to why you haven’t had this conversation with your flight school and their associated college? You should see what they have to offer as it’s never a bad idea to get as much info as you can.
If you decided to go with ATP that would be done AFTER you earn your degree which again we usually recommend. This gives you the opportunity to have a second career as a backup and focus all your attention to your studies to do as well as possible as many airlines will want to see your GPA.
Envoy is a solid Regional but if your desire is to fly for American you don’t necessarily have to go through Envoy. While they are currently offering a Flow-Thru many pilots have gotten to Majors faster without the flow. Most of the Regionals are now offering Cadet type programs. All that really means is you can interview early and they will reimburse you for your Instructor training. The program isn’t anything you attend so you can participate in it whether you go with ATP or a university program as well.
Adam
Well I’ll definitely get in touch with my instructors about it, I was just seeing about any alternative options and how to get there. And I’ve previously learned that it would be rather unwise to attain an aviation degree because if something were to happen where I would no longer hold my position, there would be nothing to fall back on. Something that caught my eye was Kalitta Air Charters II with an F/O opening for the 727, it says the minimum education requirement is a high school GED, but I realize that getting a degree is of upmost importance, and while it would be an absolute dream of mine to fly the very same 727 my grandfather flew multiple times for Pan Am, the pax majors seem to fit me better. Thank you very much for your response!
Sean
Sean,
As I said above an aviation degree does limit your options. BUT, if you’re already at a Regional and things are going well and you’re simply getting that degree for a Major position then why not take the short cut with an aviation degree?
You said your goal was AA. While there’s nothing wrong with Kalitta, they’re definitely not American.
Adam
Sean,
I would encourage you to do some very serious research into Kalitta before applying there. Their hiring minimums are much lower for a reason.
I once got to sit in an actual Lockheed Constellation that my grandfather had flown for TWA, it was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
Chris
Sean,
We recommend going to a four year college, then going to flight training. While I know that you are anxious to get up in the air, we find that this is the best path as aviation colleges can be very expensive and do not offer a backup plan should something happen to your ability to fly.
If you want to go to ATP, then you should go get your four year degree, then attend ATP flight school.
Chris