Im an 18 old fresh out of high school and I was wondering what would be the best first move to getting my foot in the door of becoming a pilot. I’ve always been in love with planes and have wanted to fly them since I was little, so I would love to in the future hopefully become an airline pilot but I know it’s not as easy as that so I’d like to hear recommendations on how to get started right.
Eric,
The best thing you can do right now is continue your education and earn a degree. While the Majors don’t require one, they most definitely prefer one. Further it’s always good to have a backup should flying not workout.
Once you complete your education then it’s time to dive in to flight training.
Adam
Eric,
I would continue your education. The majors generally want to see a degree, the field of study is not important.
I would also recommend that you take an intro flight at your local airport. There is no better way to see if flying is really for you than to go fly an airplane.
Chris
Eric,
As the guys have said, continuing your education is important. Something I want to point out, even though an aviation degree program sounds like a great idea it can often be quite expensive. Those programs you typically still need a few more ratings once your graduate to add to the bill plus your education loan.
We recommend you find a college with in-state tuition or with grant money opportunities. Take advantage of all those programs to get your degree on a strict budget. That way when you’ve graduated and you’re ready to start flight training you have very minimal college loans.
Hannah
Eric,
Echoing the others, one thing about ATP if you did decide to start some college credits now and finish an Associate’s Degree, you may be able to finish it online after obtaining your certificates. ATP has partnered schools and universities that you can enroll at to get credits.
Brady