Hello everyone, I’ve been reading this forum for quite a few days and have found it extremely helpful so thank you for that. Anyway, I just have a few questions or maybe some advice seeking. I am 22, I currently have enough credits to graduate with a University Studies degree, I am aware that I can not do much with this diploma from a career standpoint. Should I spend another year at my current University and graduate with my original Animal Science degree, then go to ATP, or take my University Studies degree now and start ATP this October? Basically I am asking if airlines look to see if you are a college graduate or are actually interested in what you received a degree in?
Another question I have for you major/regional guys, what is your schedule like? Do you spend a good amount of time with family? Do you wish you had more time with them? etc. How many days out of the month do you work, (on average)?
Does it make more financial sense to come to ATP with a PPL already under your belt? I have took a discovery flight and loved it, I just wonder if I would arguably save a good amount of money if I started ATP with a private already in hand.
Lastly, I would be taking a loan out for ATP. I currently have no debt, but also have a fear of being in debt. I realize debt is normal and very often required to further educations. My question is, does the debt seem so scary to you guys that now have those regional/major jobs?
Thank you guys tremendously, I know I am full of questions but also full of interest. I appreciate any help I can get
Major airlines just want to see that you have a degree. They don’t care what it’s in. That said, if flying doesn’t work out it’s good to have a back up plan. If you think your university studies degree isn’t a good degree to fall back on then get the animal science degree.
We post our schedules monthly in the schedules section. We each have very different schedules. Check them out. I do wish that I could spend more time with family. But I also don’t want to do any other job. Thankfully the more seniority a pilot has, generally, the better their schedules get.
I’m not afraid of my student loans. That’s easy for me to say because I was able to make it to where I am now. My question for you is are you scared of debt or are you scared of not completing the program for some reason and then being stuck with the debt? If taking on this much debt scares you, it may be better for you to earn your private pilot license at a local flight school first. After you earn your private pilot license, you can reassess your feelings towards taking on more debt. Just a thought. It’s ultimately up to you. There’s a lot of helpful information on this forum on how to be successful in ATP’s program. People who have followed the advice given on this forum have documented their experiences in the student experiences section. Some of these students were so successful that they were able to finish the program early.
Thank you for such a quick response, I know it is a lot of information at once. I am not scared of debt because I fear I wouldn’t complete the program. The only fear of debt I have is the having a career that the return income is/isn’t sufficient enough to pay off the debt and have a decent lifestyle.(I believe it’s completely normal and mature to have this concern with any career choice.) I am a very work driven student and have never started anything I didn’t finish. I see so many different salaries for pilots, I never know what a true expected salary can be for a regional guy or major. I am aware seniority is everything, I have the utmost respect for pilots and think what an amazing career it could be with tons of opportunities. Thank you again.
Thank you for that, how often do you hear of pilots flying leisure on their days off? Also, as a pilot, do you receive discounted seat prices from your carrier? I know very broad questions but just curious.
It depends. Personally I don’t know a lot of pilots that fly on their days off unless they have their own plane or they’re working for a 135 carrier like Kenmore. Most of the pilots I know are trying to build flight time within the company either so they can upgrade or move on to a major.
Pilots can fly standby for free on their airline and any other airline that has jumpseat agreements with each other, which is just about everybody. Parents and children and spouses of pilots fly standby on the pilot’s airline for free. We also get guest passes that we can give to friends and family. The passes apply a discount to the airfare but it’s still standby.
Tory got most of your questions. I just wanted to address the starting with your PPL. For some reason everyone seems to miss the PPL AND 78+hrs part. Factoring that in you won’t save a ton of money and you won’t receive the same training you will at ATP (if you believe ATP is the way to go, why do you preliminary training, arguably the most important phase elsewhere?). If you want to train with ATP then train with ATP.
You also asked about the fear of debt. None if us on here are or were independently wealthy and we all had to incur that debt. We all felt it was worth the investment in our futures. Ultimately only you can decide if it’s worth it to you. If not you can obviously do something in Animal Science and wonder what might have been everytime you see a plane overhead. Your call?
Thanks for the response, Adam. Just one clarification if you don’t mind. When you refer to the 78 hours, what exactly are you referring to? An estimated time to receive a PPL? Thanks again.
If you start with credit for your PPL, you must have a total of 78+ hours in order to be accepted into ATP.
If it takes you 78 or more hours to get your PPL, you’re good to go. If it only takes you 50 hours to get it, you’ll have to make up the other 28+ hours before being admitted.
That being said, under certain circumstances you may be able to buy additional hours from ATP at the time you signup to make the extra, but I suspect you’ll quickly find it is generally cheaper to make up the extra hours on your own.
I think it is, personally, since I started with a local flight school and switch, I have found that scheduling is much easier with ATP and its more organized and on top of getting things done.
I would just get a four year degree, the majors will not be remotely concerned with what the major was in.
Take a look at our schedules section as it will give you a good idea of what our schedules look like,
Negative on having the PPL. Keep in mind that you will need a PPL and 78 hours, so plan accordingly when looking at the prices that the local flight schools quote.
I paid of my debt in half the time required. It was scary, but also well worth it as it enabled me to have the career that I do now. Any form of truly higher education will be expensive and likely involve debt. Keep the Tuition Reimbursement program in mind as it can really help with the loan costs.
Thank you, Chris. I look at it this way, I can spend another year at my University but this would in reality, be another year off my career which could cost be half a million dollars in my future? With the cut off age at 65, it seems to me I need to get started as soon as possible. Thanks again!