Hellos, So I’m in high school right now and I’m 15 I have watched a lot of videos on youtube and it says that we should start flying or take classes when we are 16 or 17 so do we have to take flying classes when we are 16 or 17? The second question is that I moved from India here when I was 11 and right now I don’t have citizenship but I do have a green card so would I be able to join the airlines in the future and fly around (I know the question is kinda dumb but I can’t find the answer on the google). The third question do I have to go to a college and then join the school or I can directly join the school and will be able to join airlines. And the last question I have is that does the cost of the flight school is only for 1 year or for the entire program and would I be able to find any financial loans or scholarships?? Sorry, there are a lot of questions but thanks a lot for helping me!!
Sana,
Great questions and I’d encourage you to read our FAQ section for answers to the most common ones. As fire yours:
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That’s ridiculous. Many people don’t start their flight training till their 30s. More important if you start training what are you going to do with it at 16 or 17? Most places won’t hire you till you’re in your 20s. If you want to be an airline pilot your best off finishing your education (including getting a 4yr degree) and then do all your training after when you can benefit from the consistency and put your skills to use immediately.
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A green card is fine. You will need to complete a TSA background check.
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As I said you should do college first. The Majors want a degree and while you could fly without one you’ll be severely limiting your options for advancement in the future.
Adam
Adam,
Thank you so much for your answer and it makes a lot more sense to me now on how to do it. But I do still have questions. 1. What type of college degree do I need like a bachelor’s degree in aviation or other, and 2. I’m Muslim and I wear hijab so I can wear hijab as a pilot, right?
Sana
Sana,
You can study anything you like. The Majors simply want to see a degree. I usually recommend something other than aviation as a backup should flying not work out for some reason.
While some airlines are becoming much more liberal in their “dress codes”, many still do not allow hijabs. When the time comes you’ll have to see what carriers do and target those.
Adam
Welcome, Sana!
The price listed for the program is the cost for the whole program, minus a few items like iPad, headset, and checkride fees.
ATP offers loans through Sallie Mae. More info can be found on ATP’s website. As for scholarships for flight school, those are hard to come by. I encourage you to do some research to see what you can find, but fair warning you’re lucky if you find any. Most people that cannot pay for flight training out of pocket finance their training.
Tory
Hi Sana,
Welcome to the forum! No problem, we’d love to answer your questions. Thats what were here for. The guys answered most of your questioned, I just wanted to help by providing a bit of a timeline for you since you are young and eager. Right now, just focus on getting great grades in school. Research colleges and try to save as much money as you can. Find college that you could get instate tuition or even community college with very low out of pocket costs. Your goal is to get your 4 year degree from a reputable university with as little out of your pocket as possible. You need the degree for the majors but flight training is still a huge expense coming down the road. Major in something that interests you and can create a backup plan in case of future airline furloughs. Wait until you finish college and then enroll in a fast track airline training program to launch your airline career. With all this being said, you could be starting flight training at 20/21 years old and at a regional airline by 23.
-Hannah