Hi, i’m 16 years old in Toronto Canada. I have been interested in becoming a pilot for a long time but have just recently started taking the idea seriously. I have never had flight training but. I just wanted to get some ideas of a career path for hopefully making it as a commercial airline pilot at a major airline.
I am unable to afford private lessons, so I was planning to join the army out of highschool and get my training and hours there. I don’t know how realistic this is, so I was hoping someone with more experience could shed some light on how this would work and the likelihood of it being successful.
A few things. First this forum is mentored by pilots in the US and we’re not that familiar with flight training and the process in Canada. That said I’m certain there are many similarities and I recommend you take a look at the FAQ section as that will certainly answer some of your questions.
The other thing I’d like to mention is while I have never been in the military, I do have many friends who have. I have no idea how it works in Canada commitment wise but what I can tell you is everyone I know who has served will tell you learning to fly is not a good reason to enlist. If you have a desire to serve your country than by all means but it’s (at least here in the US) a huge commitment with obvious risks and not something to be take lightly.
You need to consult with people in Canada as the industry works differently up there. In the US your plan would not work as the Air Force only trains officers to fly airplanes and officers enter the service already having a degree or if they enter as enlisted, then get a degree, then hope to be commissioned as an officer.